click to enlarge - File: Glenn Russell
- A sign marking the offices of the Brookfield town clerk
Running a small town in Vermont isn't easy. An intricate web of officers, some of whom are volunteers, ensures that everything from sidewalk width to water quality is discussed — often ad nauseam — voted upon, warned, filed and enforced. But these positions are often overlooked or undesired and, as a result, can be difficult to fill.
That's why some Vermont towns are opting to appoint versus elect officers. On this upcoming Town Meeting Day, 30 ballot items across 20 towns propose changing elected positions to appointed ones. Last year, there were 32 such ballot items.
In 2017, Act 27 was passed, allowing municipalities to give their legislative bodies the power to appoint their municipal clerks and treasurers. Ted Brady, executive director for the Vermont League of Cities & Towns, said many towns had wanted to make the switch for years.
In Stockbridge, voters will decide this Town Meeting Day whether or not to make the town clerk's position appointed. Town Clerk Lori Scott, who plans to retire, said the switch would allow nonresidents to apply, making more people eligible.
Similarly, Pownal voters will decide whether to make the town's constable position an appointment. The selectboard hopes to attract a constable with law enforcement training. The current, elected constable has none; the town has been outsourcing law enforcement to Bennington County.
In Hinesburg, town manager Todd Odit hopes that voters approve a measure to appoint a town clerk, saying it would bring greater accountability to the position. Currently, people lacking qualifications can be elected, he said.
Not everyone would agree. Brady made clear that he doesn't think an appointed official is necessarily more qualified. And it's not uncommon for a community to reverse course and opt to vote for a position that was previously appointed.
The intent is to give municipalities greater agency in how they hire officers so they can better meet the demanding needs of operating a town. In today's world, some of these local jobs have only gotten more complicated. This much is clear, Brady said: "Being a town treasurer ain't what it was 100 years ago."