This year childcare will be provided during Town Meeting from 7:30 am - 3:00 pm provided by the Stowe Girl Scouts. For further information, please call Ann Marie Duff at 253-2302 or contact duff@stowevt.net.
Lunch will be provided by the Stowe Education Fund.
Stowe Town Charter Amendments
The Stowe Selectboard is asking the voters to consider Charter amendments by Australian Ballot vote on March 2, 2010. Voting will be from 7 am to 7 pm by paper ballot at the Stowe High School Gym.
Vermont municipalities are governed by general state law that applies to all municipal governments. In addition, some municipal governments have Charters that are specific to their community. A Charter is a community’s governance document. It stipulates how we choose to govern ourselves. However, because Vermont is not a “Home Rule State,” our Charter must also be approved by the Vermont General Assembly.
The last time we amended our Charter was to switch to the council/manager form of government. This has enabled the Town of Stowe to govern itself much more effectively by having a Town Manager focus on the day-to-day administration of our local government, and allowing the Selectboard to focus on policy issues.
A Charter is a living document that serves us best if it is kept up to date and reflects the times we live in. Therefore, the Selectboard decided to revisit ours this year to address the continuing evolution of our local government. We are also proposing to incorporate some elements that provide guidance in how we govern ourselves by more clearly defining roles and responsibilities.
Among the proposals is a recall provision that will allow voters to recall an elected official prior to their term expiring. This Selectboard deliberated on this issue extensively and felt that it was an option that should be available to the voters, but there should be a high threshold, so that an elected official is not removed arbitrarily. Therefore, a petition to hold an election to recall an elected official would require that the petition be signed by 30% of the registered voters.
Another proposed Charter amendment pertains to the Board of Library Trustees. It stipulates that the Library Trustees are responsible for setting library policy and the Librarian is responsible for implementing library policy. It makes it clear that library employees are town employees. It also makes it clear that “Trust funds established and other donations made expressly to benefit the Library shall be under the exclusive control of the Library Trustees…Town appropriations and all other taxpayer sourced library funds, shall be subject to and handled in accord with the financial policies and controls duly adopted by the Selectboard.”
Another provision in the Charter amendment gives the Selectboard the authority to establish the tax due dates rather than have them stipulated in the Charter. Because the Grand List needs to be set prior to issuing tax bills, there is concern that if there are a number of appeals to property assessments, it may be difficult to set the tax rate and get the tax bills out for the August 10th deadline currently stipulated in the Charter. The Charter will continue to require that there are four (4) equal tax installments.
The Board is also proposing to eliminate the Conflicts of Interest section of the Charter, which is narrow in focus. Based on the recommendation of our auditors, we have adopted a much more comprehensive Ethics Policy. The proposed Charter amendments would require all Town employees and officials appointed by the Selectboard to adhere to it.
In addition, the Selectboard is proposing changes to the Electric Department provisions of the Charter. These changes will enable the Electric Department to operate more like the council/manager form of government through the Electric Commission and their General Manager. For example, under the current Charter, the Selectboard appoints all employees of the Electric Department. The Charter change stipulates that the Select Board appoints the Electric Commissioners, they appoint the General Manager and the General Manager appoints the employees. This will also reconcile our Charter with labor agreements that are currently in place.
Finally, based on the recommendation of the current auditors, the Board is proposing to eliminate the position of town auditor. Historically local auditors audited town financial records and prepared the Town’s Annual Report. However, the town now hires an independent certified public accountant to perform these duties. If the Charter is approved, the responsibility of compiling the Annual Report would be done by the Manager’s Executive Assistant. The Selectboard wishes to thank Joyce Lawrence, Barbara Allaire and Claire Austin for their years of dedicated service.
A copy of the proposed Charter amendments will be in the voting both. The changes are also available now on the Town of Stowe website (www.townofstowevermont.org) or at the Town Manager’s or Clerk’s Offices.
The Selectboard held two public hearings on the proposed changes. Questions may be asked at the Annual Meeting informational meeting at 7 pm on February 22, 2010 at Stowe High School Auditorium. They may also be asked at Annual Meeting during other business. In the interim, any questions about the proposed Charter changes may be directed to any of the members of the Selectboard or Charles Safford, Town Manager (253-7350 or csafford@townofstowevermont.org).
