Townshend Selectboard

Under Vermont law, Selectboards are responsible for the general supervision and control of town affairs, including: • Enacting local ordinances, regulations, and policies

• Overseeing town property and personnel within their jurisdiction
• Preparing, presenting, and managing the municipal budget
• Overseeing roads, including laying out, discontinuing, and reclassifying roads
• Sitting as the local Board of Liquor Control
• Sitting as the local Board of Health
• Sitting as the local Sewer Commission, when applicable

Selectboard members must be familiar with the Town, able to understand varied and often complex issues, and prepared to make decisions in the best interest of the community.

Relevant Vermont statutes include:

17 V.S.A. § 2646(4); 17 V.S.A. § 2649; multiple case law decisions interpreting Selectboard authority.

The most widespread misunderstanding is the belief that the Selectboard has “absolute authority” over all aspects of Town government. In Vermont, this is not the case. Townshend follows the traditional New England system in which many key officers are independently elected and answer directly to the voters, not to the Select board.  Examples include:

• Town Clerk
• Town Treasurer
• Listers (or professional assessing firms)
• Constables
• Library Trustees
• Select board Members themselves

These officers do not report to the Selectboard. Their authority comes from the voters and from State law. 

This can sometimes be frustrating for residents who bring concerns to Selectboard meetings about an elected  officer. The Board may empathize, but has no legal ability to override independent authority granted by statute.

The only employees who report directly to the Select board are:

• The Selectboard Assistant 
• The Director of Public Works and the Highway Department crew
• Any positions created and appointed by the Selectboard

All other wages, including stipends for elected officials, are set by the voters at Town Meeting unless otherwise established.

Casual laborers or temporary employees may be hired as needed, but permanent positions fall under voter authority or statutory design.

Each year, the Selectboard works closely with the Treasurer and other officials to prepare a proposed municipal budget.

This budget is presented to voters for approval at Town Meeting. The voters may:

• Approve the budget
• Reduce it
• Increase it
• Reject it entirely

The Select board is then responsible for spending the approved funds exactly as authorized by the voters, ensuring that expenditures benefit the Town and remain within legal and fiscal constraints.

Town Meeting Video and Document Archives

The Selectboard is responsible for making a range of municipal appointments, including but not limited to:

• Emergency Management Director
• Energy Committee members
• Representatives to regional organization
• Various unpaid boards or advisory groups

Full list of appointed positions

Many aspects of Selectboard work are complex, technical, and regulated by state statutes. The best way for residents to understand the issues facing the Town is to: 

• Attend Select board meetings (2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 6 PM, Town Hall)
• Review posted agendas and minutes
• Watch recorded meetings through BCTV
• Participate in discussions during public comment periods

Overseeing even a small Vermont town requires significant time, attention, and judgment. While the work is often demanding, the Board remains committed to serving the voters of Townshend.