Committee reviews H.516 to ratify Essex charter amendments approved by town voters

The House Committee on Government Operations & Military Affairs on an introductory briefing considered H.516, an act approving amendments to the charter of the town of Essex that town voters certified March 11, 2025.

The measure packages technical corrections with several substantive changes to town governance. Representative Dodge, sponsor of the local charter changes, told the committee she represents “a big portion of the town of Essex and a smaller portion, but I call it the best portion of the city of Essex Junction.” She said the changes arise from a Charter Commission review and from questions voters answered at the town election.

Legislative counsel Tucker Anderson said most of H.516 consists of technical corrections to citations and cross‑references to the Vermont Statutes Annotated, and then walked committee members through the substantive amendments. Among the changes Anderson highlighted: select board vacancy rules that explicitly include a change of residence out of town as a trigger for filling a seat; a clarification of the town moderator’s duties and a procedure for electing a moderator pro tem when the moderator is absent; adding the cemetery commission to the list of boards appointed by the select board; and removing the town manager’s appointment of the grand juror from the charter text. Anderson said the town also proposes allowing the town manager to appoint officers that the select board has not filled within 45 days.

Anderson described a change to the charter’s minutes rule so that select board minutes must be approved “as soon as is reasonably possible” rather than at the next meeting. He also said the town proposes that the annual auditor’s report (which replaces the town report) be mailed to households at least 30 days before the annual meeting and that the town report be made available at least 10 days before the meeting. "The annual auditor's report ... will be made available to the voters not later than 30 days prior to the Annual Meeting," Anderson said.

The charter amendments also include a redrafted Subchapter 10 to recognize the Department of Assessment by name and explicitly give that department authority to review appraisals of taxable real property in town “in accordance with the standards for appraising established by state laws,” language Anderson said aligns local procedure with statewide appraisal standards.

Representative Dodge told the committee that town staff and select board members are available to testify and noted one select board member, speaking as a private citizen, had concerns about whether the select board should retain certain administrative discretion around the cemetery commission.

No committee vote was taken during the briefing. Anderson noted that the bill would take effect on passage if enacted and that the town submitted its certification to the General Assembly; he identified the March 11, 2025 certification date. The committee indicated it could request town staff or select board members to appear in person for further detail.

Background: the package reported to voters included 10 articles, of which seven were charter amendments; the committee was shown the ballot questions and vote reports as presented by the town. The committee clerk and counsel flagged that removal of an office from a charter does not alone eliminate any elective or statutory requirement that the office exist; additional charter language or statutory change may be necessary if a town intends to eliminate an office entirely.

What's next: H.516 remains before the committee for further consideration and staff indicated they will provide copies of the town's vote materials and may invite town officials to a future hearing if members request them.