Charter Committees's Final Report For the September 18, 2023 City Council Meeting
2023 City Charter Community Feedback
- Should South Burlington have a Mayor?
- Should South Burlington expand its City Council and/or School Board?
- Should South Burlington elect City Councilors and/or School Directors by District? Or should they run City-Wide/at-Large?
Check out the recorded community forums!
- May 10,2023 - View Recorded Meeting Here
- May 25, 2023 - View Recorded Meeting Here
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What direction did the City Council give the Charter Committee?
The South Burlington City Council has directed the City Charter Committee to consider possible governance structures for the City. The Charter Committee has embarked on a one-year project to compare various forms of city government, seek public input, and respond with recommendations to the Council in September of 2023. For any recommendations to become part of the City Charter, the City Council must approve them, the City voters must vote to approve the Council’s final version, the State Legislature must vote to amend the Charter, and the Governor must sign that bill into law.
What is a city charter?
In Vermont a charter is State law that outlines how a city or town is governed. It lays out the organization, powers, duties and functions of city or town government. South Burlington’s current City Charter is available here.
How is South Burlington currently organized?
South Burlington has 20,282 residents and is the 2nd largest city in the state of Vermont.
- The City has five members on its Council, each elected at large by all registered voters.
- The City’s Chief Executive Officer is the City Manager who is hired by and serves at the pleasure of the City Council.
- The City has five members on its School Board, each elected at large by all registered voters.
- The City consists of five Legislative Districts each having approximately 3,500 to 4,000 residents.
What organization models has the Charter Committee explored?
The Charter Committee has made preliminary observations on possible governance structures. Residents may find them useful as a starting point for providing feedback to the Committee. Click here for a spreadsheet that explores the following current and potential structural options and some possible advantages and disadvantages of each option:
- A City Manager (current structure)
- An Administrative or Executive Mayor such as in the City of Burlington or the City of Rutland (acts as CEO of the City)
- A Policy Mayor such as in the Montpelier or Winooski (serves as Chair of City Council), along with a City Manager
- A Council with five members elected at large (current structure)
- A Council with five members elected from legislative districts (wards)
- A Council with more than five members elected at large
- A Council with more than five members, five elected from legislative districts (wards) and others elected at large
- A School Board with five members elected at large (current structure)
- A School Board with five members elected from legislative districts (wards)
- A School Board with more than five members elected at large
- A School Board with more than five members, five elected from legislative districts (wards) and others elected at large
What are the next steps?
After public input, the Charter Committee will prepare a draft of recommended changes to the City Charter (if any). There will be a formal public hearing to present and discuss that draft. For any recommendations to become part of the City Charter, the City Council must approve them, City residents must vote to approve them, the State Legislature must vote to amend the Charter, and the Governor must sign that bill into law.