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Burlington seeks local control of ward maps; bill would let voters approve changes every five years
Summary
Burlington officials told the House Government Operations & Military Affairs committee that H.508 would remove ward boundaries from the city charter so council-drawn maps could be approved by local voters — avoiding repeated state-legislative amendments — and limit changes to no more frequently than once every five years.
Burlington officials told the House Government Operations & Military Affairs committee on Tuesday that H.508 would allow the city to redraw ward and district boundaries without requiring a separate act of the Legislature and governor each time.
"The proposal here is simply that the voters of the city of Burlington can approve the ward and district changes after redistricting, but that they wouldn't be written into the charter anymore," said Assistant City Attorney Eric Ramakrishnan, describing why Burlington seeks to remove fixed boundaries from its 1949 charter.
Why it matters: Ramakrishnan and Burlington City Council President Ben Travers said the current charter requires legislative action to change ward lines because the map is embedded in state law. That process can delay local…
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