H 957 — An act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the Town of Williston

BILLAct ASNo. PASSED BY THE HOUSE H.957 Page 1 of 5 H.957 Introduced by Representatives Burkhardt of South Burlington, Arsenault of Williston, and Brady of Williston Referred to Committee on Date:

Subject:M-12 Page 1 of 1 This act summary is provided for the convenience of the public and members of the General Assembly.

It is intended to provide a general summary of the act and may not be exhaustive.

It has been prepared by the staff of the Office of Legislative Counsel without input from members of the General Assembly.

It is not intended to aid in the interpretation of legislation or to serve as a source of legislative intent.

Act No.

M-12 (H.957).

An act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the Town of Williston Subjects:

Town of Williston StatementThis act amends the charter of purposethe Town of billWilliston asby introduced:repealing the elected office of lister and requiring the Town to have any assessment work conducted instead by an employed or contracted professionally qualified assessor.

ThisEffective billDate: proposes to amend the charter of the Town of Williston to remove listers as elected officers and instead enable the Town to employ or contract with an assessor.

AnJune act15, relating2026 toVT approvalLEG of#390418 amendmentsv.2 to the charter of the Town of Williston It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:

Sec.

1.

CHARTER AMENDMENT APPROVAL The General Assembly approves the amendments to the charter of the Town of Williston as set forth in this act.

The voters approved the proposals of amendment on March 3, 2026.

Sec.

2.

24 App.

V.S.A.

chapter 171 is amended to read:

CHAPTER 171.

TOWN OF WILLISTON * * * BILL AS PASSED BY THE HOUSE H.957 Page 2 of 5 § 14.

LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS (a) Elective offices.

Local elective offices to be filled by the voters of the Town of Williston shall be only those articulated by this charter, and shall include:

(1) Selectboard;

(2) Town Clerk;

(3) [Repealed.] (4) Lister;

[Repealed.] (5) Moderator;

(6) [Repealed.] (7)–(9) [Repealed.] (10) Library trustee.

(11)–(12) [Repealed.] * * * (c) Elected officers;

duties, responsibilities, and conduct.

* * * (3) Listers.

(A) There shall be three elected listers elected on a nonpartisan basis for three-year staggered terms.

(B) Duties and responsibilities of the listers shall be in accordance with State statute and herein limited.

BILL AS PASSED BY THE HOUSE H.957 Page 3 of 5 (C) The Town may vote by a majority of the legal voters present at an annual or special meeting duly warned for that purpose to eliminate the office of lister or change the office to an appointed position.

If the Town votes to eliminate the office of lister, the Town manager shall contract with or employ a professionally qualified assessor, who need not be a resident of the Town.

The assessor shall have the same powers, discharge the same duties, proceed in the discharge thereof in the same manner, and be subject to the same liabilities as are prescribed for lister or board of listers under the provisions of Title 32 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated.

(D) A vote to eliminate the office of lister shall remain in effect until rescinded by majority vote of the legal voters present at an annual or special meeting warned for that purpose.

(E) The term of office of any lister in office on the date a town votes to eliminate that office shall expire on the 45th day after the vote or on the date upon which the Selectboard appoints an assessor.

[Repealed.] * * * § 15.