District Meetings

V.S.A. tit. 24 Appendix, ch. 414, subch. 5

in effect

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 414, § 501 Special meeting

501. Special meeting (a)(1) The Board of Supervisors may call a special meeting of the District when it deems it necessary or prudent to do so and shall call a special meeting of the District when action by the voters of the District is necessary under this charter or applicable law. (2) The Board of Supervisors shall call a special meeting of the District if petitioned to do so by not less than five percent of the legal voters of the District but only for any legal purpose beyond the power and jurisdiction of the Board of Supervisors. (b) The Board of Supervisors may rescind the call of a special meeting called by them but not a special meeting called on application of five percent of the legal voters of the District. (c) The Board shall endeavor to have the times of special meetings coincide with the times of annual municipal meetings, primary elections, general elections, or similar meetings when the electorate within the member municipalities will be voting on other matters. Added 2019, No. M-2, § 2, eff. April 19, 2019.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 414, § 502 Places of meetings

502. Places of meetings At any special meeting of the District, voters of each municipality within the District shall cast their ballots at the polling places within the municipality of their residence as shall be determined by the Board of Supervisors of the District in cooperation with the board of civil authority of each member municipality. Added 2019, No. M-2, § 2, eff. April 19, 2019.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 414, § 503 Warnings

503. Warnings The original warning for any district meeting shall be signed by a number of the Board of Supervisors equal to a majority of the total votes entitled to be cast and shall be filed with the District Clerk before being posted. Added 2019, No. M-2, § 2, eff. April 19, 2019.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 414, § 504 Warnings required

504. Warnings required The Board of Supervisors of the District shall warn a District meeting by filing a notice with the town or city clerk of each member municipality and by posting a notice in at least three public places, and the additional public places as may be required by law, in each municipality in the District not less than 30 nor more than 40 days before the meeting. In addition, the warning shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the District once a week on the same day of the week for two successive weeks before the meeting, the last publication to be not less than five nor more than 10 days before the meeting. This section shall not apply to the District informational meetings at which no voting is taking place. Added 2019, No. M-2, § 2, eff. April 19, 2019.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 414, § 505 Warning contents

505. Warning contents The posted notification shall include the date, time, place, and nature of the meeting. The notification shall, by separate articles, specifically indicate the business to be transacted and the questions to be voted upon. Added 2019, No. M-2, § 2, eff. April 19, 2019.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 414, § 506 Australian ballot

506. Australian ballot The Australian ballot system shall be used at all special meetings of the District when voting is to take place. Added 2019, No. M-2, § 2, eff. April 19, 2019.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 414, § 507 Qualifications and registration of voters

507. Qualifications and registration of voters All legal voters of the municipalities within the District shall be legal voters of the District. The municipalities within the District shall post and revise checklists in the same manner as for municipal meetings prior to any District meeting at which there will be voting. Added 2019, No. M-2, § 2, eff. April 19, 2019.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 414, § 508 Conduct of meetings

508. Conduct of meetings (a) At all special meetings of the District, the following provisions of 17 V.S.A. chapter 51 shall apply except where clearly inapplicable: subchapter 1 (election officials), subchapter 3 (vote tabulators), subchapter 4 (polling places), subchapter 6 (early or absentee voters), subchapter 7 (process of voting), subchapter 8 (count and return of votes), subchapter 9 (recounts and contest of elections), and subchapter 10 (jurisdiction of courts). For purposes of this charter, the District Clerk shall perform the functions assigned to the Secretary of State under 17 V.S.A. chapter 51. (b) Rutland Superior Court shall have jurisdiction over petitions for recounts. (c) The District shall bear the cost of election expenses. Added 2019, No. M-2, § 2, eff. April 19, 2019.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 414, § 509 Reconsideration or rescission of vote

509. Reconsideration or rescission of vote (a) A question considered or voted on at any special meeting of the District shall not be submitted to the voters for reconsideration or rescission except at a subsequent special meeting duly warned for the purpose and called by the Board of Supervisors on its own motion or pursuant to a petition requesting reconsideration or rescission signed and submitted in accordance with subsection (b) of this section. (b) Where a petition signed by not less than five percent of the qualified voters of the District requesting reconsideration or rescission of a question considered or voted on at a previous special meeting is submitted to the Board of Supervisors of the District within 30 days following the date of that meeting, the Board of Supervisors shall provide for a vote by the District in accordance with the petition within 60 days of the submission at a special meeting duly warned for that purpose. (c) A vote taken at a special meeting shall remain in effect unless rescinded at a special meeting called and warned in accordance with this section. (d) A question voted on or considered shall not be presented for reconsideration or rescission at more than one subsequent meeting except with the approval of the Board of Supervisors. Added 2019, No. M-2, § 2, eff. April 19, 2019.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 414, § 510 Validation of District meetings

510. Validation of District meetings (a)(1) When any of the requirements as to notice or warning of a special District meeting have been omitted or not complied with, the omission or noncompliance, if the meeting and the business transacted at it is otherwise legal and within the scope of the District powers, may be corrected and legalized by vote at a special meeting of the District called and duly warned for that purpose. (2) The question to be voted upon shall substantially be: “Shall the action taken at the meeting of this District held on (state date) in spite of the fact that (state the error or omission), and any act or action of the District officers or agents pursuant thereto be readopted, ratified, and confirmed?” (b) Errors or omissions in the conduct of an original meeting that are not the result of an unlawful notice or warning or noncompliance within the scope of the warning, may be cured by a resolution of the Board of Supervisors of the District by a vote of two-thirds of all the votes entitled to be cast at a regular meeting or a special meeting called for that purpose stating that the defect was the result of oversight, inadvertence, or mistake. When an error or omission of this nature has been thus corrected by resolution, all business within the terms of the action of the qualified voters shall be as valid as if the requirements had been initially complied with; upon condition, however, that the original action corrected by the Board of Supervisors was in compliance with the legal exercise of its corporate powers. Added 2019, No. M-2, § 2, eff. April 19, 2019.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 414, § 511 Priority

511. Priority When a special meeting of the District is called to act upon a proposition to incur bonded or other indebtedness, or a long-term contract, the special meeting procedures outlined in subchapter 4 of this charter shall control over the meeting procedures outlined in this subchapter in the event of conflict. Added 2019, No. M-2, § 2, eff. April 19, 2019.

Source: Vermont General Assembly (legislature.vermont.gov)URL: https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/chapter/24APPENDIX/414Fetched: 10/21/2026