The Board of Civil Authority (BCA) is authorized by 24 V.S.A. § 801 and is responsible for assisting in elections, delivering absentee ballots, counting ballots, maintaining up-to-date voter checklists, and hearing appeals from final decisions of the Listers on the valuation of property.
The Board of Civil Authority meets when required at the Town Hall (there are no regular meetings).
The Board of Civil Authority is composed of the Town Clerk, the Selectboard, and Justices of Peace of the Town. The primary duties of the BCA are to:
-
Conduct property tax assessment appeals.
- Administer elections by issuing guidance to election official and ensuring compliance with federal and state election laws.
Part of the administration of elections is conducting a review of the voter checklist every two years on odd numbered years. The BCA reviews the voter checklist, sending challenge letters to voters who are thought to no longer be residents. Accordingly, voters may only be purged in the following circumstances:
- Notification of death by the State Health Department.
- Voter returns a challenge letter signed, indicating they have moved, voter sends an email or letter indicating they have moved.
- A challenge letter has been sent and no response has been received after two presidential elections.
Meetings
| Date/Agenda | Minutes | Notes / Materials |
|---|---|---|
| 10 FEB 26 | BCA Minutes 20260210 | |
| 14 JAN 26 | BCA Minutes 20260114 | Set TM polling places |
| 19 NOV 25 | BCA Minutes 20251119 | |
| 9 SEP 25 | BCA Minutes 20250909 | |
| 26 FEB 25 | BCA Minutes 20250226 |
Board of Abatement
As needed, the Board of Civil Authority (plus the Listers) serves as a Board of Abatement. Abatement is a statutory process for relieving taxpayers from the burden of property taxes, penalty (collection fees) and interest when the law authorizes abatement and when the board, in its discretion, agrees that the request is reasonable and proper.
24 V.S.A. § 1535(a) provides that the board may abate in whole or part taxes, interest of collection fees accruing to the town in the following cases:
- (1) taxes of persons who have died insolvent;
- (2) taxes of persons who have removed from the state;
- (3) taxes of persons who are unable to pay their taxes, interest, and collection fees;
- (4) taxes in which there is a manifest error or a mistake of the listers;
- (5) taxes upon real or personal property lost or destroyed during the tax year;
- (6) the exemption amount available under 32 V.S.A. § 3802(11) to persons otherwise eligible for exemption who file a claim on or after May 1 but before October 1 due to the claimant’s sickness or disability or other good cause as determined by the board of abatement; but that exemption amount shall be reduced by 20 percent of the total exemption for each month or portion of a month the claim is filed late
- (7), (8) Repealed
- (9) taxes upon a mobile home moved from the town during the tax year as a result of a change in use of the mobile home park or parts thereof, or closure of the mobile home park in which the mobile home was sited, pursuant to 10 V.S.A. § 6237.