The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 24: Municipal and County Government

Chapter 045: Voluntary Consolidation of Towns

• § 1421. Appointment of committee

  The selectboard of any town may appoint a committee to study the feasibility and desirability of the consolidation of such town, or parts of such town, with another town, or towns, or parts thereof. (Added 1963, No. 146, § 1.)

• § 1422. Assistant judges; cooperation with committee

  A committee appointed under the authority of this chapter shall confer with the assistant judges of the Superior Court within which county the town is located, who shall cooperate with such committee to study the feasibility and desirability of the consolidation of such town with another town, or towns, or parts thereof, and if the assistant judges decide that there is a reasonable possibility of such a consolidation and that it would be beneficial to the inhabitants of the areas proposed to be consolidated, they shall suggest to the selectboard of such other town or towns that they appoint a committee or committees to consider the proposed consolidation. (Added 1963, No. 146, § 2; amended 1973, No. 193 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. April 9, 1974.)

• § 1423. Town committees; joint plan for consolidation

  (a) Any committee appointed at the suggestion of the assistant judges shall meet and confer with the committee of the town proposing consolidation, and the two committees acting jointly, if they determine that a consolidation would promote the interests of the residents of the areas to be consolidated and that greater governmental efficiency would result, shall draw a detailed plan for a consolidation, setting forth the boundaries of the areas to be consolidated, scheduling and listing land, buildings, and equipment owned by each town which will not be needed after consolidation and placing a fair market value thereon and scheduling and listing land, buildings, and equipment deemed necessary for the areas to be consolidated. They shall also schedule and list the liabilities of each town and draw up a balance sheet showing the true assets and liabilities of the proposed consolidated town taking into consideration the value of the land, buildings, and equipment which will not be needed after consolidation.

  (b) Any plan for consolidation may provide for the establishment of one or more of the towns consolidating as a village within the consolidated town, and for the continuance of any zoning ordinances in effect in such town as village ordinances and, in case such town has a bonded debt, for special village tax levies for the payment thereof. Any plan may also provide that school districts within the areas to be consolidated may be established as incorporated school districts within the consolidated town. (Added 1963, No. 146, § 3.)

• § 1424. Approval by assistant judges

  Any plan drawn up as provided in section 1423 of this title shall be submitted to the assistant judges for their approval, and if they find that the plan, if carried out, would result in greater governmental efficiency for the areas involved they shall so notify the selectboard of the towns involved in the proposed consolidation and direct them to publish the plan in their respective towns and to call town meetings for the purpose of voting in said town upon the acceptance or rejection thereof. In the consideration of any consolidation plan submitted to them the assistant judges shall have due regard to the topography of the areas, the ease of transportation, the economic and social patterns, and whether a proposed consolidation would promote the interest of the inhabitants of the areas proposed to be consolidated. (Added 1963, No. 146, § 4.)

• § 1425. Consolidation plan; publication; voting

  When any plan of consolidation has been approved by the assistant judges, the selectboard of each of the towns involved shall publish such plan by posting a copy of the same in at least three public places in each town for three consecutive weeks and causing the same to be published once a week for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper in general circulation in such town. Within 30 days after such publication the selectboard shall call a town meeting of each town to be held on the same day for the purpose of voting on the proposed consolidation. The voting shall be by ballot and shall be held at the usual polling place in each town and the polls shall be open from 6:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. (Added 1963, No. 146, § 5.)

• § 1426. Voting qualifications

  The qualifications for voting on any proposed consolidation shall be the same as those for the election of town officers. (Added 1963, No. 146, § 6.)

• § 1427. Result of vote; certification

  The town clerk of each town voting on a proposed consolidation shall certify the result of the vote to the county clerk, and if the majority of voters in each of the respective towns involved shall have voted in favor of the plan, the county clerk shall so certify to the Secretary of State who shall report to the General Assembly then or next in session, submitting the detailed plan so approved by the towns for its consideration. (Added 1963, No. 146, § 7.)

• § 1428. Consolidated town; first meeting

  If a new consolidated town shall be established by the General Assembly, the county clerk of the county in which such consolidated town is located shall call a meeting of the qualified voters of such town, who shall be the residents of the consolidated areas who were qualified to vote at the last town meeting of their former respective towns, who shall proceed to elect a slate of town officers to serve until the next annual town meeting. (Added 1963, No. 146, § 8.)

• § 1429. State Treasurer; duties

  The State Treasurer shall act as fiduciary for any towns consolidated under the provisions of this chapter. He or she shall determine the bonds of the consolidating towns outstanding, shall give written notice to the consolidated town not less than 30 days before each due date of interest and principal due to be paid by such consolidated town, and shall bill and collect each amount so notified. Funds so collected shall be held by him or her and applied only to the payment of such bonds or of bonds of the consolidated town issued in exchange therefor. (Added 1963, No. 146, § 9.)

• § 1430. Consolidation of areas in different counties

  Should any proposed consolidation involve towns or parts of towns situated in different counties, it shall be the duty of the assistant judges of both counties to act jointly in carrying out the purposes of this chapter. Upon certifying a favorable vote on a proposed consolidation to the Secretary of State they shall also recommend within which county the proposed consolidated town should be included. (Added 1963, No. 146, § 10.)