Committee hears Barre City charter change (H.10) to move town meeting date, separate clerk and treasurer
January 11, 2025 | Government Operations & Military Affairs, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative , Vermont
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The House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs heard introductory testimony on H.10, a Barre City charter-change request, at the committee’s first meeting. Municipal representatives described three principal changes: moving the city’s annual town meeting to the second Tuesday in May, separating the elected clerk and the treasurer positions, and cleaning redundant charter language now that the city no longer controls the school district.
Why it matters: committee members said a May town meeting gives municipal managers more time to account for state and federal funding cycles and to finalize budgets in the wake of recent flooding; splitting clerk and treasurer roles was presented as a response to the city’s growth and the increasing professional demands of municipal finance.
Teddy Wonsack, a municipal representative who introduced the request, said H.10 “basically just establishes … the date of our annual town meeting to the 2nd Tuesday in May” and explained the proposal would also “separate the office of the clerk and treasurer.” Michael Blutin, who testified with Wonsack, said the change would allow the city to appoint “a full time appointed treasurer that has more of a background in that kind of work.”
Members asked for supporting documents and details. Representative Matt Byron, the committee chair, and other members asked the presenters to provide the town-meeting turnout numbers that the city cited and any analysis the city manager can provide on the budget-timing benefits. Wonsack said he would request a letter from the city manager with facts and figures for the committee’s record.
Committee discussion also touched on timing and implementation. Committee counsel and members noted a House rule and the committee process can delay a charter change’s effective date; presenters were told a charter change passed by a municipality often does not take effect until the next legislative cycle, which can delay immediate local implementation.
No formal committee action or vote on H.10 occurred at the session. The committee asked the presenters to supply: (1) the vote totals and turnout figures from Barre City’s local vote, (2) a letter from the city manager outlining budget and administrative impacts, and (3) any proposed technical edits that align cross‑references in the current charter. The committee assistant will post submitted materials to the committee web page.
What’s next: H.10 remains in introduction/testimony stage. Committee members indicated they will review the submitted documents and may schedule the city manager or other municipal officials to appear later for follow-up. If the bill is warned for a committee vote, members said they will provide at least 24 hours public notice before taking a roll-call vote.
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Why it matters: committee members said a May town meeting gives municipal managers more time to account for state and federal funding cycles and to finalize budgets in the wake of recent flooding; splitting clerk and treasurer roles was presented as a response to the city’s growth and the increasing professional demands of municipal finance.
Teddy Wonsack, a municipal representative who introduced the request, said H.10 “basically just establishes … the date of our annual town meeting to the 2nd Tuesday in May” and explained the proposal would also “separate the office of the clerk and treasurer.” Michael Blutin, who testified with Wonsack, said the change would allow the city to appoint “a full time appointed treasurer that has more of a background in that kind of work.”
Members asked for supporting documents and details. Representative Matt Byron, the committee chair, and other members asked the presenters to provide the town-meeting turnout numbers that the city cited and any analysis the city manager can provide on the budget-timing benefits. Wonsack said he would request a letter from the city manager with facts and figures for the committee’s record.
Committee discussion also touched on timing and implementation. Committee counsel and members noted a House rule and the committee process can delay a charter change’s effective date; presenters were told a charter change passed by a municipality often does not take effect until the next legislative cycle, which can delay immediate local implementation.
No formal committee action or vote on H.10 occurred at the session. The committee asked the presenters to supply: (1) the vote totals and turnout figures from Barre City’s local vote, (2) a letter from the city manager outlining budget and administrative impacts, and (3) any proposed technical edits that align cross‑references in the current charter. The committee assistant will post submitted materials to the committee web page.
What’s next: H.10 remains in introduction/testimony stage. Committee members indicated they will review the submitted documents and may schedule the city manager or other municipal officials to appear later for follow-up. If the bill is warned for a committee vote, members said they will provide at least 24 hours public notice before taking a roll-call vote.
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