§ 11.

379 words·~2 min read·/vt/11-21

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

§ 11. Procedures for charter revision and amendment

(a)The procedures and process for charter amendment in subsection

(b)of this section may be initiated either by a vote of four members of the Selectboard or by a citizen initiative (petition) of at least five percent of the voters registered at the time that the petition is submitted.

(b)The procedure for charter amendment shall be as follows:

(1)The Selectboard shall appoint a Charter Review Committee of not less than 11 members, which shall include two representatives from the Selectboardand two representatives from the administration, one of which must be the Town Clerk, with the majority from the community at large. All voting members must be registered voters of the Town.

(2)Within one year after appointment, the Charter Review Committee shall report out any amendments, revisions, or changes.

(3)The Selectboard shall determine if the proposed amendments are a comprehensive revision and shall determine the format of the article. All provisions of 17 V.S.A. § 2645 that are not in conflict with this charter shall be adhered to.

(4)Any changes in the charter must be effected by a Town meeting vote.

(c)In addition to the procedure set forth above in subsections

(a)and

(b)of this section, the charter may be revised or amended by the submission of a citizen initiative (petition) specifying the amendments or revisions desired and signed by 10 percent of the registered voters. The petition and subsequent action shall conform to the requirements of State statutes relating to charter amendment procedures and shall be approved by an annual Town meeting vote with at least 15 percent of voters participating. If a proposed amendment or revision under this subsection is voted down at the annual Town meeting, it or a substantially similar amendment may not be petitioned again for a period of one year.

(d)Any changes in the Town charter shall become effective immediately upon passage by the registered voters and approval by the General Assembly as prescribed by statute.

(e)A comprehensive revision of this charter, as determined by the Selectboard, may be voted only once in three years. (Amended 2021, No. M-13 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 16, 2022; 2023, No. M-2, § 2, eff. May 4, 2023.)