THE LEGAL VOTERS OF THE TOWN OF ESSEX IN THE COUNTY OF CHITTENDEN ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED AND WARNED TO MEET AT ESSEX MIDDLE SCHOOL, 60 FOUNDERS ROAD, ESSEX, VERMONT ON TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2026, TO TRANSACT THE FOLLOWING BUSINESS BY AUSTRALIAN BALLOT. THE POLLS FOR SAID BALLOT SHALL BE OPEN FROM 7:00 AM UNTIL 7:00 PM AT WHICH TIME THEY SHALL BE CLOSED.

Article I.

Shall the Town adopt a budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 as recommended by the Selectboard in the amount of $17,189,166?

Article II.

Shall the Town of Essex vote to appropriate an amount equal to 1% of the General Fund Budget, as passed by voters, to the Essex Human Services Contributions Fund to support social service organizations, such amount being reasonably necessary and for the support of programs to benefit Town of Essex residents?

Article III.

Shall the voters of the Town of Essex advise the Selectboard to continue overall progress on implementing the new municipal complex at 80-90 Upper Main Street, for which the Selectboard adopted a conceptual Master Plan in March 2025? (Advisory)

Article IV.

Shall the voters of the Town of Essex advise the Selectboard to complete public infrastructure design as the first step toward potential construction at 80-90 Upper Main Street, which was purchased in 2023 to serve a new municipal complex, and for which the Selectboard adopted a conceptual Master Plan in March 2025, under the following conditions (Advisory):

1. Only the following funding sources are eligible to cover Town costs: capital funds, impact fees, $500,000 in eligible grant funding and any other grant awards, donations, Reserve funds, approved fund balance assignments, and/or Local Option Tax revenue, should any local option taxes be approved by voters.

2. Construction of any portion of the new municipal complex project shall not occur without future voter input.

3. Costs for this infrastructure design phase of work, currently estimated at $1.5 million, do not exceed $2 million to come from the sources listed above.

Article V.

Shall the voters approve setting the number of Essex Development Review Board members to five (5), in accordance with 24 V.S.A. 4460(f)?

Article VI. Election of the following:

Moderator, 1 vacancy (1-year term)

Selectboard, 3 vacancies (two 3-year terms, one 1-year term)

The legal voters of the Town of Essex are further notified that voter qualification, registration and absentee voting relative to said annual meeting shall be in accordance with the Vermont Statutes Annotated.

Dated at Essex, Vermont, the 26th day of January 2026 by the Essex Town Selectboard.

Selectboard signatures:

Kendall Chamberlin, Vice Chair

Shannon Jackson, Clerk

Andrew J. Watts

Ethan Lawrence

Received for record this 26th day of January 2026 in the records of the Town of Essex.

Jennifer Booker, Acting Town Clerk

Posted at: Essex Town Office, Essex Free Library, Essex Public Works, Essex Post Office, Essex Middle School, Essex Town Website