The Vermont Statutes Online
The Statutes below include the actions of the 2025 session of the General Assembly.
NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.
(Cite as: 24 App. V.S.A. ch. 19, § 403)
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§ 403. Emergency ordinances
To meet a public emergency affecting life, health, property, or the public peace,
the Council may adopt one or more emergency ordinances, but such ordinances may not
levy taxes, grant, renew, or extend a franchise or regulate the rate charged by any
public utility. An emergency ordinance shall be introduced in the form and manner
prescribed for ordinances generally, except that it shall be plainly designated as
an emergency ordinance and shall contain, after the enacting clause, a declaration
stating that an emergency exists and describing it in clear and specific terms. The
declaration of an emergency shall be deemed to be conclusive as to its existence.
An emergency ordinance may be adopted with or without amendment or rejected at the
meeting at which it is introduced, but the affirmative vote of at least three members
shall be required for adoption. After its adoption, the ordinance shall be posted
and published immediately. It shall become effective upon adoption or at such later
time as it may specify. Every emergency ordinance shall expire and be of no further
force and effect as of midnight on the 31st day following the date on which it was
adopted, but this shall not prevent reenactment of the ordinance in the manner specified
in this section if the emergency still exists. An emergency ordinance may also be
repealed by adoption of a repealing ordinance in the same manner specified in this
section for adoption of emergency ordinances. (Added 2013, No. M-9, § 3, eff. June 4, 2013; amended 2015, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 17, 2016.)