Descriptions of Locally Elected Offices

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Moderator: The moderator is elected annually by Australian ballot to preside over all Open Town
Meetings for that year. The term of office is from the first Tuesday in March to the first Tuesday in
March of the following year.

Lister: Lister’s terms of office are for three years, one Lister being elected each year. The board of
Listers, elected at large under the authority of the Brattleboro Town Charter, Article II, Section 2 (E),
having no appraisal power, shall function as a Board of Appeals with the authority to hear and
adjudicate all appeals by citizens disputing Office of Assessment appraisals, and perform other advisory
and educational functions for the office of Assessment. While citizens may contact the office of
Assessment at any time to discuss their assessed value, the appeal to the board of Listers has a specific
window of opportunity that being the 2 weeks following the date the abstract Grand List is lodged. That
date changes each year but will always be after April 1st and before the end of June.

Selectboard: The powers and responsibilities of the Selectboard are extensive and can be found in
Article IV of the Town Charter. Newly elected Selectboard members take office as soon as they are
sworn in after Town Meeting Day.

Constables: Two constables are elected annually. In Brattleboro their primary duty is the service of civil
process. They may also be asked to work during an election, but their presence on Election Day is not
required by law.

Trustee of Public Funds: The term of office for a Trustee of Public Funds is three years, with one trustee
elected each year by Australian ballot. The trustees of public funds manage and invest all funds held by
the town in trust for various purposes and the income is expended for the particular purpose specified
by each donor.

These offices are all elected on the first Tuesday in March. On the first Tuesday in March a separate
election for Windham Southeast School Directors is held. Both of these elections, and the Presidential
Primary when applicable are held at the same time in the same location – voters are offered the ballots
available and may choose to vote in any or all of the elections for which they are eligible.

In a Presidential Election year, the Primary for the office of President of the United States is held on the
first Tuesday in March also. The Presidential Primary is considered a separate Election and for the
Primary to be binding the voter must declare which party’s primary they wish to vote in. Vermont does
not require voters to register with a party when registering to vote and voting in a Presidential Primary
does not make the voter a member of any party.