The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 24 Appendix : Municipal Charters

Chapter 117 : Town of Essex

Subchapter 003 : Town Meeting - Amendment of Charter

• § 305. Petition for enactment of ordinance; special meeting

  (a) Subject to the provisions of section 304 of this charter, voters of the Town may at any time petition in the same manner as in section 304 for the enactment of any proposed lawful ordinance by filing the petition, including the text of the ordinance, with the Town Clerk. The Selectboard shall call a special Town meeting (or include the ordinance as annual meeting business) to be held within 60 days of the date of the filing, unless prior to the meeting the ordinance shall be enacted by the Selectboard. The warning for the meeting shall state the proposed ordinance in full or in concise summary and shall provide for an Australian ballot vote as to its enactment. The ordinance shall take effect on the 10th day after the conclusion of the meeting provided that voters as qualified in section 304, constituting a majority of those voting thereon, shall have voted in the affirmative.

  (b) The proposed ordinance shall be examined by the Town Attorney before being submitted to the special Town meeting. The Town Attorney is authorized, subject to the approval of the Selectboard, to correct the ordinance so as to avoid repetitions, illegalities, and unconstitutional provisions and to ensure accuracy in its text and references and clearness and preciseness in its phraseology, but the Town Attorney shall not materially change its meaning and effect.

  (c) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any appointments of officers, members of commissions, or boards made by the Selectboard or to the appointment or designation of Selectboard, or to rules governing the procedures of the Selectboard.