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H 957

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

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Angela Arsenault and 2 co-sponsors

Williston may replace the elected lister with an appointed professional assessor who has the same powers as listers, under a defined transition timeline.

House message: Governor approved bill on June 15, 2026
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Bill Summary · H 957

Summary of H.957 (2025-2026) – Vermont: Approval of Amendments to the Town of Williston Charter

Purpose and Intent

  • The bill authorizes and approves amendments to the Town of Williston’s charter.
  • Primary aim: convert the office of lister from an elected position to an appointed/contracted professional assessor, with the town either employing or contracting with an assessor.

Key Provisions and Changes

Charter Amendments (Chapter 171 – Town of Williston)

  • Section 14: Local Elected Officials

    • Current elected offices remain as defined in the charter, including Selectboard, Town Clerk, Moderator, Library Trustee, etc., with several slots repealed or previously existing offices removed.
    • Crucially, the office of lister is treated as potentially eliminable or convertible to an appointed position (see below).

  • Section 14(c) – Elected Officers; Duties, Responsibilities, and Conduct

    • (C) The Town may vote by a majority at an annual or special meeting to eliminat e the office of lister or to change the office to an appointed position.
    • If the Town votes to eliminate the lister office:
    • The Town manager must contract with or employ a professionally qualified assessor (who need not be a town resident).
    • The assessor obtains the same powers, duties, liabilities, and authority as listers would under Title 32 of Vermont Statutes Annotated.
    • (D) A vote to eliminate the lister office remains in effect until a subsequent vote to rescind it (i.e., to re-establish the position as elected).
    • (E) If there were listers in office when the town votes to eliminate the office, their terms expire 45 days after the vote or on the date the assessor is appointed, whichever occurs later. (Note: This subsection indicates a transition with timing tied to the appointment of an assessor.)

  • Section 15 – Appointed Nonadministrative Officials

    • The bill interacts with the broader framework of appointment of nonadministrative officials, specifically noting the Board for the Abatement of Taxes (below).

  • Section 21 – Assessment of Property

    • (a) The Town must employ or contract with one or more properly qualified assessors who meet training requirements established by the Director of Property Valuation and Review (PVR) prior to conducting assessment work.
    • (b) Assessors shall possess the same powers, duties, and liabilities as listers under Title 32, VT Statutes Annotated.
    • This section effectively codifies the new assessor role to replace the former elected listers.

Transition Provisions

  • Sec. 3 – Transitionary Provision
    • The term of any current lister expires 45 days after the act’s passage or when an assessor is employed/contracted, whichever occurs last.
    • This provides a procedural timeline for the transition from elected listers to an appointed assessor.

Effective Date

  • Sec. 4 – Effective Date
    • The act takes effect upon passage.

Affected Parties and Impacts

  • Listers (Current Elected Officials): The office may be eliminated or converted to an appointed assessor, pending voter approval.
  • Town of Williston: Transition to professional assessment administration, potentially affecting tax assessment processes, customer interactions, and personnel structure.
  • Assessors: A new or expanded role; assessors will have powers and responsibilities equivalent to listers, including those codified in Title 32.
  • Board for the Abatement of Taxes: May include listers unless the town votes to eliminate the lister office; composition and governance provisions reference the listers’ status (see Section 4 of the appointed nonadministrative officials).

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Voter Approval Required: The amendments rely on a confirmed vote by the legal voters at an annual or special meeting to eliminate the office of lister or convert it to an appointed position. The bill notes that voters approved the amendment proposals on March 3, 2026.
  • Transition Timeline: If approved, listers’ terms expire 45 days after passage or upon appointment of an assessor, whichever is later.
  • Implementation: The town must appoint or contract with a professionally qualified assessor who meets PVR training requirements prior to conducting assessments.

Summary

H.957 authorizes Williston to replace the elected lister position with an appointed professional assessor, subject to voter approval. It establishes that assessors will have the same powers and duties as listers under Vermont law, sets training and qualification requirements, and provides a clear transition timeline (listers’ terms end 45 days after approval or upon assessor appointment). The bill also codifies continuity for related bodies (e.g., the Board for the Abatement of Taxes) contingent on whether the lister office is eliminated. The act is effective upon passage.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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