2011 Vermont Code
Title 24 Appendix Municipal Charters
Chapter 107 TOWN OF BRATTLEBORO
§ 2.03 Representative town meeting

§ 107-2.3. Representative town meeting

(a) Description:

(1) The representative town meeting is a body, not exceeding one hundred forty voters of the town, elected by district to exercise exclusively all powers vested in the voters of the town. In addition to the elected members, the following shall be members ex officio: the members of the selectboard, the school directors, treasurer, clerk, moderator, and state senators and state representatives who reside in Brattleboro. Representative town meeting shall act upon all articles on the town meeting warning except those which relate to the election of officers, referenda, and other matters voted upon by Australian ballot.

(2) The representative town meeting is a guiding body for the town and a source of ideas, proposals and comments. (See Addendum A, No. 302 of the Acts of 1959.) In the event of a discrepancy between this section and No. 302 of the Acts of 1959, the provision set forth in this charter shall prevail.

(b) Ratifications:

(1) The representative town meeting shall:

(A) Ratify or reject the date proposed by the selectboard and school directors for the annual town and town school district meeting. Such date shall be set at the preceding annual town meeting and shall remain the same until changed by the representative town meeting.

(B) Ratify or reject the appointment by the selectboard of a town clerk for a term of one year whose term shall run from annual town meeting to annual town meeting.

(i) The town clerk shall keep the official records of the town, including the records of the proceedings of all town meetings. In addition, the town clerk shall:

(I) Record deeds and other instruments respecting real estate, writs of execution, other writs and other instruments which are delivered to be recorded;

(II) Record the assignments and discharges of mortgages;

(III) Maintain a general index of all transactions concerning real estate;

(IV) Record and index attachments of personal property;

(V) Maintain a file of maps and surveys;

(VI) Furnish plain or certified copies of any instrument on record in his office;

(VII) Subject to the approval of the selectboard, appoint one or more assistants, remaining responsible, for their acts and omissions, and able to revoke said appointment at any time;

(VIII) Administer oaths; and

(IX) Perform other duties as prescribed in 24 V.S.A. chapter 35.

(C) Ratify or reject the appointment by the selectboard of a town treasurer for a term of one year whose term shall run from annual town meeting to annual town meeting.

(i) The town treasurer shall:

(I) Keep an account of the moneys, bonds, notes, and other evidences of debt paid or delivered to the town and a record of moneys paid out by the town for the town and town school district, all of which shall be open to the inspection of persons interested;

(II) Keep a record of taxes voted for support of highways, schools, special departments, and general town purposes;

(III) Pay orders drawn on the town by officials authorized by law to draw such orders;

(IV) Keep an account with the tax collector of each annual tax bill showing levies, payments, and abatements;

(V) Keep accounts of taxes and of moneys allocated to highways, schools, special departments, and general town purposes;

(VI) Subject to the approval of the selectboard, appoint one or more assistants, remaining responsible for their acts and omissions, and able to revoke said appointment at any time; and

(VII) Perform other duties as prescribed in 24 V.S.A. chapter 51.

(D) Ratify or reject the appointment by the selectboard of a town attorney (which may be a law firm) for a term of one year whose term shall run from annual town meeting to annual town meeting.

(i) The town attorney shall:

(I) Serve as town agent and prosecute and defend suits in which the town is interested; and he may prosecute violations of any by-law, rule, regulation or ordinance;

(II) Serve as an assistant grand juror and prosecute crimes committed within the town not prosecuted by the Windham County state's attorney;

(III) Provide legal advice to the selectboard, town manager, department heads, development review board, planning commission, and other town boards, commissions, and committees;

(IV) Perform other duties pertaining to the office as directed by the selectboard; and

(V) Have the right to appoint, subject to approval of the selectboard, one or more assistants remaining responsible for their official acts and omissions, and may revoke said appointment at any time.

(E) Ratify or reject the recommendations of the selectboard and the school directors regarding administrative and functional organization of the town or school district.

(c) Elections:

(1) Any article which requires balloting shall be among the first articles in the warning. The annual town meeting shall elect by ballot:

(A) The board of trustees of the Brooks Memorial Library, which shall determine library policy, approve the library budget, and employ a librarian. Operating policies and procedures are established by the library trustees and executed by the librarian and staff.

(i) The board of library trustees consists of nine members serving three years each. Three trustees are elected each year from among persons nominated by the selectboard, by the board of library trustees, and from the floor of the annual town meeting.

(ii) Vacancies on the board of library trustees are filled by the selectboard until the next annual town meeting, at which time a trustee shall be elected to serve for the remainder of the term.

(d) Finance committee: The representative town meeting shall establish a finance committee for the general purpose of reviewing proposed and actual expenditures by the town, town school district, and other budgets which affect the taxpayers of the town of Brattleboro, as from time to time they see fit to review, and of making recommendations to the voters with respect thereto. The meeting shall fix and from time to time may alter the number of members, the manner of their selection, their terms of office, their compensation if any, and other duties and functions. The committee may choose its own officers. Pursuant to the rules established by town meeting, appointment or election of finance committee members shall be made at each annual town meeting.