The Essex Junction City Council voted to set the municipality’s annual meeting for Tuesday, April 7, 2026, and approved moving its regular January 14, 2026 meeting to January 21 to allow warnings and public hearings related to potential charter changes.

Ashley, a staff presenter, told the council that under the council’s recent charter change the council — not voters at the prior annual meeting — must now select the annual meeting date and warned that the council must finalize the warning by Feb. 25. "With our charter change, this is the first year that we have as a council, we have to select the date of the next annual meeting instead of the voters voting on that date at the previous annual meeting," Ashley said.

A motion to set the annual meeting date and to move the January meeting was offered, seconded and passed unanimously. Council members discussed a longer-term goal of aligning with town meeting day but agreed April 7 was acceptable for the upcoming year to avoid the expense and turnout risk of separate election days.

Councilors also settled scheduling and format questions for budget work. Councilors agreed by consensus to hold the city’s internal budget day on Saturday, Dec. 5 (staff will use that date to structure outreach and follow-up hearings). For the community meal and budget presentation, councilors favored a Saturday midday format similar to the prior year that includes a committee fair plus a presentation and Q&A; councilors discussed piloting small-group breakout tables to make residents more comfortable asking questions and to collect written questions for staff follow-up.

Regina, the city manager, and staff flagged the requirement to finalize the warning by Feb. 25 and reminded councilors that charter changes require separate warnings and public hearings under the charter-change timetable staff had included in the memo.

Ending: The council adopted the immediate scheduling motions needed to meet legal timelines and directed staff to proceed with budget-day planning, community-meal logistics and public-notice schedules tied to the Feb. 25 warning deadline.