Charter Committee Outreach

Home More News Charter Committee Outreach

Charter Committee Outreach

Shared on behalf of the City’s Charter Committee and Peter Taylor, the Chair of the Committee

  • 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?

Learn more and provide feedback! 

  • Learn about the advantages and disadvantages of governance models: tinyurl.com/sbgovproscons
  • Learn about the Charter Committee’s efforts to date: tinyurl.com/sbgov   
  • Complete a survey on possible governance structures for South Burlington: tinyurl.com/sbgovsurvey  
  • And participate in upcoming community forums!
  • May 25, 2023, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM - 180 Market Street - 3rd Floor Conference Room #301

What is a city charter and why talk about it now? 

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.  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.

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.

Learn more here:  tinyurl.com/sbgov