[I]n Norman Rockwell’s 1943 painting “Freedom of Speech,” a humble Vermonter is pictured at town meeting holding firm to his principles — and a printed municipal report.
This year, he could draw support from a smartphone, too.
Vermont’s 246 cities and towns are required by law to send a copy of their annual report to the secretary of state’s office for public review and archival preservation.
In the past, municipal clerks have spent tax money on printing and postage to fulfill the call. But this year, the state is encouraging communities to email digital versions for posting on the secretary of state’s website.
“This certainly makes it more accessible and easier for us to index and store,” says Deputy Secretary of State Chris Winters.
For locals eager to complain about yet another state mandate, Winters notes that municipal clerks still can send paper to the State Archives and Records Administration for conversion into digital documents.
“Change is always a concern,” he says, “so we allowed for that option.”
Winters adds that the switch will allow people who once had to travel to Montpelier to peruse the state’s only complete collection of municipal reports to stay home and search PDF versions.
“This is part of a bigger trend,” he says, “to save everyone time, effort and money.”
Vermont law requires localities to publish an annual auditor’s statement, which many communities supplement with reports by everyone from their town clerk to dogcatcher. But as the state relaxes public distribution rules, a rising number of communities are cutting costs by delivering only the budget basics and sharing the rest at municipal offices or online.
Pick up the printed document in Bolton, for example, and you’ll find a one-page town meeting agenda, notice of a supplementary potluck dinner (“please identify the ingredients of your dish so that diners are aware of the contents for any allergy concerns”) and a closing advisory: “The full auditor’s report is available at www.boltonvt.com.”
