H 957

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2026
No. M-12. An act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of
the Town of Williston.
                                     (H.957)
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
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§ 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      (3) [Repealed.]
      (4) Lister; [Repealed.]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      (6) [Repealed.]
      (7)–(9) [Repealed.]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.
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      (11)–(12) [Repealed.]
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   (c) Elected officers; duties, responsibilities, and conduct.
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      (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.
         (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rescinded by majority vote of the legal voters present at an annual or special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.
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         (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. APPOINTED NONADMINISTRATIVE OFFICIALS
                                       ***
   (b) Appointed positions.
                                       ***
      (4) The Board for the Abatement of Taxes.
         (A) The Board for the Abatement of Taxes shall consist of the Board
of Civil Authority and Town Treasurer, plus the listers unless the Town votes
to eliminate the office of lister. The Board is responsible for making decisions
on tax abatement pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 1535.
         (B) The Board for the Abatement of Taxes shall be governed by
general law in the exercise of its authority.
         (C) The quorum for the Board of Abatement of Taxes shall consist of
a majority of the Board of Civil Authority, and Town Treasurer, and Town
Listers unless the Town votes to eliminate the office of lister.
                                       ***
§ 21. ASSESSMENT OF PROPERTY
   (a) The Town shall employ or contract with one or more professionally
qualified assessors who meet, prior to conducting any assessment work for the
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Town, the training requirements established by the Director of Property
Valuation and Review under 32 V.S.A. § 4052.
   (b) The assessors shall have the same powers, discharge the same duties,
proceed in the discharge of those duties in the same manner, and be subject to
the same liabilities as are prescribed for listers under the provisions of Title 32.
Sec. 3. TRANSITIONARY PROVISION
   The term of office of any lister in office in the Town of Williston shall
expire 45 days after the passage of this act or upon the date on which an
assessor is employed or contracted with in accordance with 24 App. V.S.A.
ch. 171, § 21, whichever occurs last.
Sec. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE
   This act shall take effect on passage.
Date Governor signed bill: June 15, 2026
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