Incorporation and Grant of Powers

V.S.A. tit. 24 Appendix, ch. 143, subch. 1

in effect

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 143, § 101 Corporate existence retained

101. Corporate existence retained The inhabitants of the Town of Richmond as presently constituted and the inhabitants of the Village of Richmond as constituted by 1902 Acts and Resolves No. 227, as amended by 1923 Acts and Resolves No. 216, 1929 Acts and Resolves No. 178, 1939 Acts and Resolves No. 293, 1947 Acts and Resolves No. 247, and 1951 Acts and Resolves No. 292 are hereby incorporated and continue to be incorporated and declared to be a body corporate and politic under the name of the Town of Richmond and under that name may sue and be sued, prosecute and defend in any court; may have a common seal and alter it at pleasure; may borrow money on the credit of the Town, in the mode and under the restrictions hereinafter provided and as provided by the general law of the State; may elect Representatives to the General Assembly of the State, and the number of justices of the peace as provided in Chapter II of the Vermont Constitution for a town of equal population; and generally shall have, exercise, and enjoy all such rights, immunities, powers, and privileges as are conferred upon or are incident to towns in this State; and shall be subject to like duties, liabilities, and obligations, except as otherwise provided in this charter.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 143, § 102 General law; application

102. General law; application Except when changed, enlarged, or modified by the provisions of this charter, all provisions of the statutes of the State of Vermont relating to municipalities shall apply to the Town of Richmond.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 143, § 103 Powers of the Town

103. Powers of the Town (a) The Town of Richmond shall have all the powers granted to towns, town school districts, and municipal corporations by the Constitution and laws of this State and this charter, together with all the implied powers necessary to carry into execution all the powers granted. The Town of Richmond may enact ordinances not inconsistent with the Constitution and laws of the State of Vermont or with this charter and impose penalties for violation thereof. (b) The Town may acquire real and personal property within or without its corporate limits necessary or convenient for any lawful purpose, in fee simple or any lesser interest or estate, by purchase, gift, devise, lease, or condemnation, consistent with the Constitution and laws of the State of Vermont, and may sell, lease, mortgage, hold, manage, and control such property as its interest may require consistent with the Constitution and laws of the State. (c) In this charter, no mention of a particular power shall be construed to be exclusive or to restrict the scope of the powers that the Town would have if the particular power were not mentioned, unless this charter otherwise provides. (d) The Seal of the Town of Richmond, heretofore adopted, is declared to be the official seal of the Town, to be used as required by law and custom. (e) The Town may purchase, hold, and convey any real estate and erect and keep in repair any buildings necessary or convenient for its purposes and may acquire, construct, and maintain such dams, aqueducts, reservoirs, sewage disposal facilities, and electrical distribution facilities as it may deem necessary for the benefit of the Town.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 143, § 104 Reservations of powers to the Town

104. Reservations of powers to the Town Nothing in this charter shall be construed to in any way limit the powers and functions conferred on the Town of Richmond, the Selectboard of said Town, or its elected and appointed officials by general or special enactments of State statutes or regulations in force or effect or hereafter enacted, and the powers and functions conferred by this charter shall be cumulative and in addition to the provisions of such general or special enactments unless this charter otherwise provides.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 143, § 105 Authority of police officers

105. Authority of police officers The police officers of the Town shall have the same powers throughout the State with respect to criminal matters, and the enforcement of the laws relating thereto, as they have within the Town.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 143, § 106 Open meetings

106. Open meetings Meetings of all Town boards and commissions shall be open and held in accordance with the general law of this State relating to public meetings. The record of all official proceedings shall be available for public inspection and copying as provided by the general law of this State.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 143, § 107 Form of government

107. Form of government Pursuant to its provisions and subject only to the limitations imposed by the Vermont Constitution and by this charter, all powers of the Town shall be vested in an elective council, hereinafter referred to as the Selectboard, which shall enact ordinances, codes, and regulations; adopt budgets; and determine policies and that shall execute the laws and administer the government of the Town. The Town shall have a Town Manager as provided in sections 502 and 503 of this charter. Amended 2005, No. M-10 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 1, 2006; 2011, No. M-17 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 8, 2012.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 143, § 108 Intergovernmental relations

108. Intergovernmental relations The Town, through its Selectboard, may enter into any agreement with the United States of America or the State of Vermont, or both, or with any subdivision, department, agency, or activity of the United States of America or the State of Vermont, or both, to accept grants, loans, and assistance from the United States of America or the State of Vermont, or both, or from any subdivision, department, agency, or activity of the United States of America or the State of Vermont, or both, to make public improvements within the Town, or upon property or rights of the Town outside its corporate limits, whether owned by the Town as sole owner or owned by the Town in common with another municipality or other municipalities, and may make appropriations consistent with the charter to accomplish this purpose. Amended 2005, No. M-10 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. May 1, 2006.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 143, § 109 Town School District; establishment

109. Town School District; establishment The Town of Richmond, as established in section 101 of this charter, shall constitute the Richmond Town School District.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 143, § 110 Utility services

110. Utility services The Town shall have the power to impose rates, charges, and assessments upon property located within and without the Town of Richmond for water and sewer service, as provided herein.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 143, § 111 Ordinances; enforcement and adoption

111. Ordinances; enforcement and adoption (a) The Selectboard may provide penalties for the breach of any ordinance authorized by general law or this charter, may prosecute any person violating the same through the constables or police officers who for these purposes shall be informing officers, and may maintain actions to restrain actual or threatened violations of the same. The establishment of any fine or penalty shall be by ordinance. (b) Ordinance-making authority granted to the Town by this charter and general law shall be exercised pursuant to the provisions of sections 112 through 115 of this charter. Amended 2005, No. M-10 (Adj. Sess.), § 4, eff. May 1, 2006.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 143, § 112 Ordinance; introduction and readings

112. Ordinance; introduction and readings (a) Every ordinance shall be introduced in writing. The enacting clause of all ordinances shall be “The Selectboard of the Town of Richmond hereby ordains.” The Selectboard shall cause the ordinance to be published in its entirety or a table of contents of the ordinance to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the Town, at least once, together with a notice of the time and place when and where there will be a public hearing to consider the same for adoption and the place where the ordinance may be viewed. The first such publication shall be at least one week prior to the date of the public hearing. (b) At the time and place advertised, or at any time and place to which the hearing may from time to time be adjourned, the ordinance shall be read in full, except that by vote of a majority of the Selectboard, the ordinance may be read by title, and at the hearing, all persons interested shall be given an opportunity to be heard. Amended 2005, No. M-10 (Adj. Sess.), § 5, eff. May 1, 2006.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 143, § 113 Ordinance; consideration and passage

113. Ordinance; consideration and passage After the hearing, the Selectboard may adopt the ordinance with or without amendment. Amended 2005, No. M-10 (Adj. Sess.), § 6, eff. May 1, 2006.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 143, § 114 Ordinance; effective date

114. Ordinance; effective date An ordinance shall become effective in accordance with the provisions of 24 V.S.A. chapter 59, relating to the adoption of ordinances, except that if adoption of the ordinance by the Selectboard is conditioned upon approval of the voters of the Town, then the ordinance shall become effective upon a favorable vote by Australian ballot of a majority of those voting at a special or annual Town meeting. A vote to disapprove an ordinance under 24 V.S.A. § 1973 shall be by Australian ballot. A reconsideration, rescission, or validation vote pertaining to any of these votes shall be by Australian ballot. Amended 2005, No. M-10 (Adj. Sess.), § 7, eff. May 1, 2006.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 143, § 115 Ordinances; filing

115. Ordinances; filing The Town Clerk shall prepare and keep in the Town office a book of ordinances that shall contain each ordinance adopted by the Selectboard or finally approved by the voters together with an index of the ordinances according to the subject matter. Amended 2005, No. M-10 (Adj. Sess.), § 8, eff. May 1, 2010.

Source: Vermont General Assembly (legislature.vermont.gov)URL: https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/chapter/24APPENDIX/143Fetched: 10/21/2026