But amid residents standing up and speaking out, several dozen municipalities are set to vote on professionalizing their governance structures, be it replacing volunteers with paid experts, appointing rather than electing support staff or eliminating antiquated posts.
Cavendish, Coventry, Pawlet, St. Albans and Whitingham are just five of a rising number of communities moving to replace the post of citizen lister with professional appraisers.
“The accurate and fair calculation of property values for the grand list is one of the most important aspects of determining the yearly tax rate to be assessed,” the two-member board of listers in Cavendish, population 1,393, writes in this year’s annual report. “The job of lister has evolved over the years and, in our opinion, requires the expertise and training of an approved appraiser.”
The board isn’t alone in its belief. Of Vermont’s 246 cities and towns, more than 40 have made the switch in the past five years, Cavendish listers discovered.
Several other municipalities will vote on changes to upper management.
The state’s largest city of Burlington, population 42,239, will cast ballots Tuesday on creating a Department of Permitting and Inspections to be led by administration appointed by the mayor.
Bennington, population 15,003, will vote again on a proposal rejected last year to replace its current town manager system with a mayor.
“The mayor shall serve as the voice of the Town of Bennington, taking responsibility for implementing the policies of the Select Board, leading the town toward greater prosperity and a healthy economy, and a better life for all its residents,” reads the article placed on the ballot by a citizen petition.
Bennington’s proposed mayor not only would manage the town’s administrative affairs but also have the power to veto any action of the Select Board, which, in turn, would have the authority to override.
Nearby Arlington, population 2,219, will consider a smaller step with a vote on creating the position of town administrator.
And Thetford, population 2,561, having approved the post of town manager last year after it found too few citizens willing to serve on its Selectboard, will vote on giving the new hire the power to collect current and delinquent taxes.
Several municipalities will consider switching posts from elected to appointed. Corinth, population 1,415, and Williston, population 9,637, will vote on allowing local leaders to name the town treasurer, while Thetford wants to do the same with its grand juror and agent to prosecute and defend suits.
Other localities may lengthen terms of office. Alburgh, population 510, will vote to change its town clerk and treasurer positions from one-year to three-year posts, while Whiting, population 420, wants to do the same for its road commissioner.
And several towns are aiming to eliminate antiquated offices.
East Montpelier, population 2,576, will vote on cutting its elected cemetery commission and giving its $17,250 annual budget to the Selectboard to spend on mowing, maintenance, dealing with woodchucks and replacing flags before Memorial Day, according to its annual report.
Fayston, population 1,335, will vote on cutting its appointed position of fence viewer, one of the oldest offices in New England, yet rarely required anymore to settle disputes arising from trespassing livestock.
Jericho, population 5,009, will vote on cutting its elected positions of town agent, whose work now is done by a hired lawyer, and grand juror, whose work now is done by the state’s attorney’s office.
Middlesex, population 1,747, will vote on cutting its elected position of trustee of public funds, whose duties now are done by its town treasurer.
And Williston will vote on giving local leaders the ability to decide whether to fill the positions of pound keeper, an animal control post that has been vacant for two decades, and town service officer, whose work now is tasked to public and private social welfare agencies.
Finally, Coventry, whose former town clerk and treasurer allegedly took as much as $1.4 million in municipal funds, will vote on its own efficiency measure: a proposal to combine the savings account balances of the grader reserve fund, gravel pit reserve fund and road and bridge reserve fund into a single road infrastructure and equipment reserve fund.
The ballot item comes as local leaders report their first successful financial audit in 15 years, which they credit to “new office procedures achieving the necessary and secure checks and balances.”
“The Town of Coventry has seen outstanding progress,” its Selectboard writes in this year’s annual report, “and we would like to thank all of the voters for supporting the necessary and important changes.”
