(Updated 4/14/2021)
Re-vote on the Merger Plan
for the Town of Essex and the Village of Essex Junction
Special Town Meeting on April 13, 2021
Ballots will be mailed to active, registered voters and should be in mailboxes by March 29, 2021. If you do not receive a ballot in the mail, please contact the Town & Village Clerk by calling (802)-879-0413, option 6, or emailing clerk@essex.org. The merger question is on the same ballot as the Village of Essex Junction annual meeting articles and Essex Westford School District annual meeting articles. Ballots are double-sided and voters should make sure they vote on both sides of the ballot. Ballots can be dropped off at the Town Offices at 81 Main Street until 7 a.m. on April 13. After 7 a.m. on April 13, drop-off ballots must be taken to your proper polling place. Mailed ballots must be received by 4:30 p.m. on April 13.
I voted on merger already. Why are we voting on it again?
Village residents voted on merger in November 2020. It passed. Town residents, including those in the Village, voted on merger in March 2021. It failed. Now, after a voter-backed petition requested a reconsideration of the March merger vote, voters are receiving another ballot in accordance with Vermont law (17 V.S.A. § 2661), again asking if the merger plan should be approved. Why are we voting on this again? Will this be the last time? What happens next? To begin to answer these questions, let's start with a timeline.
Vermont State Statute Title 17, Section 2661 (b): If a petition requesting reconsideration or rescission of a question considered or voted on at a previous annual or special meeting is filed with the clerk of the municipality within 30 days following the date of that meeting, the legislative body shall provide for a vote by the municipality in accordance with the petition within 60 days of the submission at an annual or special meeting duly warned for that purpose.
Voting for residents who live in the Town Outside the Village
Visit the Town website for more information on the April 13th Ballot.
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Voting for residents who live in the Village
Visit the Village website for more information on the April 13th Ballot.
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Resources |
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News CoverageCoverage is featured regularly in the Essex Reporter. Essexreporter.com You can view meeting recordings on Town Meeting TV's Youtube channel . Published notices and warnings can be found in the Burlington Free Press and Seven Days.
Business View Magazine - Finding a Common Path for the Future Contact Board Members with your questions
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Street List |
Current Governance Structure
The Town of Essex and the Village of Essex Junction currently have their own charters. Some municipal departments and services have been consolidated in the last few years, such as the Manager’s Office, Clerk’s Office, Finance Department, and the Essex Area Senior Center, among others (click here for consolidation information). These departments and services are paid for by all members of the Essex community, whether in the Village or the Town outside the Village. These consolidations have saved more than $2.8 million (from Fiscal Year 2014 to Fiscal Year 2020). Other municipal services are funded separately, such as the fire departments, recreation departments, libraries, and community development and planning.