§ 2. Body corporate and corporate limits
(a) The legal voters of the District shall be a body corporate. The corporate limits shall
be the boundary lines of the Town of Williamstown, being bounded as follows: easterly
by the line of Washington; southerly by the lines of Chelsea and Brookfield; westerly
by the lines of Northfield and Berlin; and northerly by the lines of Berlin and Barre.
(b) While the District encompasses the same area as the Town of Williamstown, it shall
be a corporate body separate from the Town of Williamstown. It shall elect its own
officers, vote its own taxes, and manage its own affairs as follows:
(1) The Fire District Prudential Committee shall, for the Fire District, set a Fire District
tax rate in the same manner that the Selectboard set the Town tax rate as provided
by 17 V.S.A § 2664.
(2) The Prudential Committee shall make contact with the Town for the collection of Fire
District taxes.
§ 6. Officers; qualifications and elections
(a) At the annual meeting, the Williamstown Fire District shall choose from its legally
qualified voters the following Fire District officers, who shall serve until the next
annual meeting and until successors are chosen, unless otherwise provided:
(1) a Moderator to be elected by paper ballot;
(2) a Clerk/Treasurer who shall also serve as a member of the Prudential Committee and
also serve as Clerk to the Prudential Committee to be elected by paper ballot;
(3) one member of the Prudential Committee for a term of three years who shall be elected
by paper ballot;
(4) one member of the Prudential Committee for a term of one year who shall be elected
by paper ballot; and
(5) one Auditor for a term of three years who shall be elected by paper ballot.
(b) The Prudential Committee shall be a five-member Committee, three of whom shall hold
three-year terms, one for a one year term, and the Clerk/Treasurer. The Auditing
Committee shall be a three member Committee.
(c) The offices of the Prudential Committee member, Fire Chief, First Assistant Chief,
and Second Assistant Chief shall be considered incompatible offices, meaning that
one individual may not be elected to more than one of these offices.
(d) A Fire Chief for the Williamstown Fire District shall be appointed for one year as
follows:
(1) Not less than 15 nor more than 30 days prior to the annual meeting, one nominee each
for the position of Fire Chief shall be selected by majority vote of the Prudential
Committee and by the members in good standing of the fire company. A third nominee
for the position of Fire Chief shall be selected by majority vote at the annual meeting
by paper ballot.
(2) Not more than 14 days following the annual meeting, the Prudential Committee shall
appoint, from among the three nominees selected pursuant to subdivision (1) of this
subsection, the Fire Chief for the District. In the event that no nominees are selected
through the nominating process set forth in subdivision (1) of this subsection, the
Prudential Committee shall, within 14 days following the annual meeting, appoint a
Fire Chief to serve until a successor Fire Chief is appointed pursuant to subdivision
(1) of this subsection.
(3) A Fire Chief may be removed from office prior to the expiration of his or her term
only by the unanimous vote of the Prudential Committee. In the event the Fire Chief
resigns or is removed from office prior to the expiration of his or her term, the
Prudential Committee shall appoint an interim Fire Chief to serve for the remainder
of the term.
(4) A Fire Chief or any interim Fire Chief shall appoint a First Assistant Fire Chief
and a Second Assistant Fire Chief, both to serve at the pleasure of the Fire Chief
or interim Fire Chief.