General Provisions

V.S.A. tit. 24, ch. 87, subch. 1

in effect

24 V.S.A. § 3251 Definitions

3251. Definitions As used in this chapter: (1) “Legislative body” means “legislative body” as defined in section 2001 of this title. (2) “Property” means real estate. (3) “Sewage system” means “sewage system” as defined in subdivision 3501(6) of this title. (4) “Special assessment” means a tax assessed against one or more properties receiving the benefit of a particular public improvement, as distinguished from a tax on the entire grand list of a municipality. (5) “Water system” means “water system” as defined in subdivision 3341(b)(2) of this title without reference to any determination by the water commission. Added 1969, No. 170 (Adj. Sess.), § 10, eff. March 2, 1970.

24 V.S.A. § 3252 Purpose of assessments

3252. Purpose of assessments Special assessments may be made for the purchase, construction, repair, reconstruction, or extension of a water system or sewage system, or any other public improvement that is of benefit to a limited area of a municipality to be served by the improvement, including those projects authorized under subchapter 2 of this chapter. Added 1969, No. 170 (Adj. Sess.), § 10, eff. March 2, 1970; amended 2009, No. 45, § 15i, eff. May 27, 2009.

24 V.S.A. § 3253 Method of apportionment

3253. Method of apportionment A special assessment may be apportioned among the properties to be benefited thereby according to the listed value of such properties in the grand list, the frontage thereof, the added value accruing to each property by reason of the public improvement for which such assessment is made, or by any method other than the foregoing that results in a fair apportionment of the cost of the improvement in accordance with the benefits received. Added 1969, No. 170 (Adj. Sess.), § 10, eff. March 2, 1970.

24 V.S.A. § 3254 Approval of voters

3254. Approval of voters A special assessment under this chapter shall be levied only by vote of a majority of the qualified voters of the municipality voting at an annual or special meeting duly warned for that purpose. However, the question need not be submitted to the voters if all of the owners of record of property to be assessed, or of any interest therein, other than mortgagees or lien holders, consent in writing to the assessment. Either the vote or the consent shall include approval of the method of apportionment of the assessment. Added 1969, No. 170 (Adj. Sess.), § 10, eff. March 2, 1970.

24 V.S.A. § 3255 Collection of assessments; liens

3255. Collection of assessments; liens (a) Special assessments under this chapter shall constitute a lien on the property against which the assessment is made in the same manner and to the same extent as taxes assessed on the grand list of a municipality, and all procedures and remedies for the collection of taxes shall apply to special assessments. (b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, a lien for an assessment under subchapter 2 of this chapter shall be subordinate to all liens on the property in existence at the time the lien for the assessment is filed in the land records, shall be subordinate to a first mortgage on the property recorded after such filing, and shall be superior to any other lien on the property recorded after such filing. In no way shall this subsection affect the status or priority of any municipal lien other than a lien for an assessment under subchapter 2 of this chapter. A lien for an assessment under subchapter 3 of this chapter shall be exempt from the provisions of this section and, upon receipt of consent from lenders, pursuant to subsection 3276(e) of this title, shall not be subordinate to all liens on the property in existence at the time the lien for the assessment is filed in the land records. Added 1969, No. 170 (Adj. Sess.), § 10, eff. March 2, 1970; amended 2011, No. 47, § 18a, eff. July 1, 2012; 2025, No. 128 (Adj. Sess.), § 14f, eff. June 8, 2026.

24 V.S.A. § 3256 Construction with other laws

3256. Construction with other laws Nothing contained in this chapter shall prohibit the financing of any of the improvements referred to in this chapter by a tax on the grand list of a municipality, or by other means. Added 1969, No. 170 (Adj. Sess.), § 10, eff. March 2, 1970.

24 V.S.A. § 3257 Special assessment bonds

3257. Special assessment bonds (a) Upon approval of the legislative body of the municipality and subject to subsection (c) of this section, a municipality may issue revenue bonds for the purpose of financing a public improvement for the benefit of the limited area of the municipality to be served by the improvement. A revenue bond issued under this section is issued for an essential and governmental purpose. (b) A revenue bond issued pursuant to this section shall be payable solely and exclusively from the special assessments levied on the properties to be served by the improvement and shall not constitute general indebtedness of the municipality. No holder of a bond issued under this section shall have the right to compel any exercise of the taxing power of the municipality to pay on the bond. (c) The municipality may issue a revenue bond pursuant to this section only if one or more of the following conditions are met: (1) one of the following entities provides a commitment letter for the issuance: (A) the Vermont Bond Bank; (B) a bank regulated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, or the Federal Reserve Board; or (C) a credit union regulated by the National Credit Union Administration; or (2) a nationally recognized statistical rating organization that has an active U.S. public finance practice rates the issuance at a minimum credit rating of BBB or equivalent. Added 2025, No. 179 (Adj. Sess.), § 7, eff. July 1, 2026.

Source: Vermont General Assembly (legislature.vermont.gov)URL: https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/chapter/24/087Fetched: 10/21/2026