Financial

V.S.A. tit. 24 Appendix, ch. 101, subch. 5

in effect

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 101, § 26 Fiscal year

26. Fiscal year The fiscal year of the Town and all its departments shall begin on the first day of July and end on the last day of June unless another date is fixed by voters at any annual Town election.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 101, § 27 Committee of Five

27. Committee of Five Annually, prior to January 31, a committee of five voters shall be appointed to review, with the Selectboard members, the proposed Town budget. Their terms shall expire upon final adoption of the budget. The Selectboard members shall appoint two members and the Clerk, one member; these three shall appoint two additional members. Amended 2019, No. M-1, § 2, eff. April 19, 2019; 2021, No. M-1, § 2, eff. April 13, 2021.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 101, § 28 Budget preparation

28. Budget preparation (a) At such time as may be prescribed by the Selectboard, the Town Manager shall propose a budget and submit a line itemized estimate of the income and expenditures required for the operation of the Town government for the next ensuing fiscal year. (b) The Selectboard, with the Committee of Five, shall review and finalize the proposed Town budget publicly and prepare it for submission to the voters at the annual Town election. Sufficient copies shall be available to the voters not less than 10 days prior to the election at the five public places required by section 3 of this charter, and the warning shall state the availability of said proposed budget. Amended 2011, No. M-3, § 2, eff. April 4, 2011.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 101, § 29 Appropriation

29. Appropriation (a) All amounts specified in the budget and approved by the voters at an annual Town election are appropriated for the purpose specified in the budget. Adoption of the budget shall constitute appropriations of the amounts specified therein as expenditures from the funds indicated and shall constitute a levy for all revenues proposed in the budget. The Selectboard may transfer within the fiscal year any unexpended appropriation balance or portion thereof between general classifications or expenditures. (b) Money shall not be paid out of the Town Treasury except on a payroll or warrant signed by at least three of the members of the Selectboard and authenticated by the Town Manager. (c) Every appropriation, except an appropriation for a capital expenditure, shall lapse at the close of the fiscal year to the extent that it has not been expended or encumbered. An appropriation for capital expenditure shall continue in force until the purposes for which it was made have been accomplished or formally abandoned. Amended 2019, No. M-1, § 2, eff. April 19, 2019.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 101, § 30 Budget control

30. Budget control At the beginning of each quarterly period during the fiscal year, and more often if required by the Board, the Manager shall submit to the Board data showing the relation between the estimated and actual income and expenses to date, together with outstanding indebtedness and estimated future expenses and income. The Manager may provide for monthly or quarterly allotments of appropriations to departments, funds, or agencies under such rules as he or she shall have prescribed.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 101, § 31 Purchasing policy

31. Purchasing policy The Town Manager may expend an amount determined by the Selectboard, and the Selectboard may expend $10,000.00 for any established program without requesting competitive bids. Any expenditures other than those specified above shall be open to competitive bidding, except if the Selectboard shall find that bidding would be of no advantage to the Town. In such case, it shall then detail in its minutes the reasons for such findings and no bidding shall be required for that particular expenditure.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 101, § 32 Tax rate

32. Tax rate (a) If the municipal and school budgets have been adopted by July 1, then as soon as practicable after the final adoption of the last budget and the filing by the listers of the grand list, the Selectboard shall annually vote a uniform rate of tax sufficient to raise the amount of revenue voted by the Town and Town School District for the support of the Town and Town School District government for the ensuing fiscal year. In setting the rate, the Board shall consider all other sources of revenue available to the Town and Town School District, including any surplus carried over from the previous year, and shall also make such allowance for delinquent taxes as they may think proper. (b) If the final municipal and school budgets have not been adopted by July 1, then as soon as practicable thereafter the Selectboard shall set an interim rate of tax. The interim tax rate shall be sufficient to raise the amount of tax revenue in any budget that has been adopted, plus an amount sufficient to raise 100 percent of the last adopted budget of the same type as that budget that has not yet been adopted. Once the final budgets have been adopted, the Selectboard shall proceed to set a rate of tax as set forth in subsection (a) of this section.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 101, § 33 Collection of taxes

33. Collection of taxes (a) Real and personal property taxes and other taxes, assessments, charges, or levies by the Town shall be due either in one payment or in not more than four installments, as equal as possible, on dates specified by the voters at the annual Town election. If an interim tax rate has been set, the installments shall be calculated as though it were not an interim rate. However, once the budgets have passed, revised tax bills shall be sent to the taxpayers and the remaining installments shall be calculated to offset equally, or as equal as possible, the over- or underpayment caused by the interim rate. Any installment not paid when due shall be delinquent and there shall immediately be added to the amount due a charge for late payment equivalent to five (5) percent of the delinquent installment. For a period of 30 days immediately following the due date, delinquent accounts shall be retained by the Treasurer and shall be payable to his or her office. (b) As soon as practicable after the expiration of 30 days from the due date of each installment, the Treasurer shall forward all accounts then remaining unpaid to the Tax Collector, together with a warrant for the collection of such accounts, in the form prescribed by law. Thereafter, all such accounts shall be payable only to the Tax Collector. Accounts forwarded to the Tax Collector shall bear simple interest at the rate of one percent per month, which is an annual rate of 12 percent, on the original amount of the tax due. In addition, a collection fee of eight percent of the original tax due shall be charged together with any reasonable attorney fees and court costs incurred in the collection of any delinquent account. All such charges, fees, interest, and other added amounts shall be cumulative and shall accrue at the times and in the manner herein specified. (c) The Tax Collector shall have all the powers that tax collectors of towns have under the general law of the State, including the power to levy on personal property, bring actions at law, conduct tax sales, and bring petitions for foreclosure of tax liens. Such acts shall be done in the name of the Town of Barre and in the manner provided by such general law, except as modified by any provision of this charter. Amended 2015, No. M-2, § 2, eff. Feb. 25, 2015.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 101, § 34 Board of Abatement

34. Board of Abatement (a) The Board of Civil Authority, together with the Treasurer and the Assessor, shall constitute the Board of Abatement. The Chair and Clerk of the Board of Civil Authority shall serve as the Chair and Clerk, respectively, of the Board of Abatement. (b) The Board shall meet at least one time each year, at the call of the Clerk, to consider all requests for abatement of any tax, assessment, charge, or other levy made by the Town, or of any penalties, interest, and other delinquent charges. (c) Public notice of every meeting of the Board of Abatement shall be given by posting at the municipal building, on the official Town website, and at least three other public places within the Town, as designated by the Selectboard, and by publishing the notice two times in a newspaper having general circulation within the Town within at least two and not more than 10 days prior to the meeting. (d) Any taxpayer may request abatement of any tax, assessment, charge, or other levy, or any other penalties, interest, and other delinquent charges for which that individual is or may become liable. The Tax Collector may also submit to the Board for its consideration such taxes, assessment charges, or other levies, or penalties, interest, and other delinquent charges as the Tax Collector may see fit and may also offer recommendations to the Board. If the Board finds: (1) that there is no reasonable probability of collection; or (2) that the tax, assessment, charge, or other levy was not properly assessed; or (3) that all persons liable for tax, assessment, charge, or other levy have died or removed from the State; or (4) that the persons liable for the tax, assessment, charge, or other levy are financially unable to pay same; or (5) that collection of the tax, assessment, charge, or other levy would work an injustice; or (6) that collection of the tax, assessment, charge, or other levy would create an undue expense for the Town, then the Board may abate the tax, assessment, charge, or other levy, or the accrued penalties, interest, and other delinquent charges in whole or in part. If wholly abated, all accrued penalties, interests, and other delinquent charges shall also abate in full. If partly abated, such penalties, interests, and charges shall abate pro rata. Amended 2015, No. M-2, § 2, eff. Feb. 25, 2015; 2021, No. M-1, § 2, eff. April 13, 2021.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 101, § 35 Bonded indebtedness

35. Bonded indebtedness The limits of bonded indebtedness of the Town and the procedures for incurring a debt shall be governed by the general laws of the State of Vermont.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 101, § 35a Bonding; Aldrich Public Library

35a. Bonding; Aldrich Public Library By a majority vote of those present and voting at an annual or special meeting warned for the purpose, the Town may issue municipal bonds for the cost of capital improvements to the Aldrich Public Library, which is located in the City of Barre and used by the residents of both the City and Town, and such improvements shall be considered “improvements” for the purposes of 24 V.S.A. chapter 53.

Source: Vermont General Assembly (legislature.vermont.gov)URL: https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/chapter/24APPENDIX/101Fetched: 10/21/2026