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For further assistance, contact the Town Clerk's Office, which is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m., with the exception of every election day and the following day. 

 

Representative Town Meeting

2025 Special Representative Town Meeting

View the special RTM warning. View the info forum warning.

A special Representative Town Meeting (RTM) is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at the Brattleboro Union High School gymnasium at 6:30 p.m.

Prior to this special RTM, the Brattleboro Selectboard will hold an informational forum on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at Academy School, 860 Western Avenue. The article regarding the budget will be discussed. Below are more details about the informational forum.

All three Brattleboro Districts — Districts 7, 8, and 9, — will caucus at 5:45 p.m.

District 7 has two (2) seats to appoint, District 8 has one (1) seat to appoint, and District 9 has one (1) seat to appoint. Any residents from these districts interested in being considered for this position should be present at Wednesday’s caucus at 5:45 p.m. Classroom locations for each caucus will be posted in the school lobby that evening. The public is invited to attend their district’s caucus and stay for the informational forum.

The special RTM informational forum will begin at 7 p.m.

Childcare stipends are available for this meeting. Contact the Town Manager’s Office for more information or view the application here.

View more information about the FY26 Budget here.

 

2025 Representative Town Meeting

Annual Representative Town Meeting was held on March 22, 2025. View the meeting minutes or watch below.

 

Important Documents

• Annual Report

• Budget: 

›  FY26 Budget Selectboard Approved
›  FY26 Capital Project Plan
›  Capital Equipment Replacement Program

•  Auditor's Report

•  2025 Report of the RTM Finance Committee

•  Human Services: 

›  Cover Letter
›  Allocation Spreadsheet
›  Human Services Info Session: The Human Services Committee held an information session on Feb. 24. Watch that presentation here.

 

Informational Forum

›  Watch
›  Minutes

 

Brattleboro's Representative Town Meeting (RTM)

Most towns in Vermont make important decisions at an annual town meeting at which all residents may attend and vote. Brattleboro is one of Vermont's larger towns and is the only town in Vermont to hold a Representative-type of town meeting. Town meeting members discuss, debate, and vote on the town budget and on a number of other binding and non-binding policies.

There are 150 voting members at RTM, including 138 elected town meeting representatives, in addition to ex-officio members including the Selectboard, Town Clerk, Town Treasurer, Moderator, and State Representatives and State Senators that reside in Brattleboro. The total number of town meeting representatives is based on the number of registered voters per district. An elected group of five members of the Selectboard carry out the policies set at the annual town meeting.

Representative Town Meeting is held on the third Saturday after the first Tuesday in March.

For more background, you may read this two-part article series in Brattleboro History of RTM Part 1 and Part 2.

 

HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE

There are several ways to participate in RTM

  • Become a voting town meeting member: Any citizen of Brattleboro who is a registered voter may run for Town Meeting Member. There is no party affiliation to this office, and diversity of representation is important for our community.
  • Attend the annual Representative Town Meeting as a member of the public: You can observe the proceedings and speak your opinion, but not vote.
  • Submit an article to be placed on the ballot for the town meeting. You can read the procedure How to Get an Article on the Ballot.
  • Watch the town meeting live on BCTV, as it happens, or after the fact.

HOW TO BECOME A TOWN MEETING MEMBER

Petitions to be on the ballot for Town Meeting Member are available from the Town Clerk's Office starting in early December. The petition is due back in the Town Clerk's Office no later than 5 p.m. on the sixth Monday preceding the elections. The date will be printed on the petition form. Town Meeting Members elected on the first Tuesday in March are eligible to vote at the Representative Town Meeting the same year. The normal term of office is three years, though there are often remainder terms to be filled. These would be for one or two-year periods depending on the length of time left on the uncompleted term. The terms are staggered so that every year 14 to 16 new members are elected from each district for a three-year term.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR RTM

  • Pick up and read the informational packet (usually from Brooks Memorial Library or linked on the Town's website), which is prepared for all of the Town Meeting Members, when availability is announced shortly after the first Tuesday in March. The packet contains the list of warned articles to be discussed at RTM, the town report, and other vital information for the annual meeting.
  • Reach out to people in your district in order to understand their opinions on topics for voting at the Representative Town Meeting. The Districts Map shows the area of the district that you represent.
  • Attend the informational meeting that explains the proposed town budget and other articles on the warning. The informational meeting for RTM has a scheduled half-hour session prior to the start of the meeting itself for district Reps to meet and the public to express their concerns on the issues and also for the district to caucus for additional members if necessary. The public is welcome to attend the informational meetings.
  • Set aside a full day (possibly into the evening) and possibly part of a second day to dedicate to attending the town meeting.
  • Become familiar with the Town Charter, as many RTM discussions refer to items in the charter.
  • Get acquainted with Robert's Rules of order, by watching our training video, or by ordering a book such as Robert's Rules in Brief from our local bookstore.
  • See our RTM Training and Information page in order to learn more about how the town meeting is put together and how it works.

ACCESSIBILITY AND MEMBER SERVICES

  • A child care stipend is available for the district caucus session, the information session, and RTM. Contact the Town Manager's Office about the child care stipend shortly before the district caucus session, the information session, and RTM.
  • There will be ASL interpretation at all times during the Representative Town Meeting
  • Contact the Town Clerk's office with any questions about accessibility.

REASONS TO PARTICIPATE IN TOWN MEETING FROM RTM MEMBERS

  • "Democracy in action"
  • "...representative democracy that allows real impact on local issues the few people in the country have the opportunity to experience."
  • "Getting together a group to debate how to spend taxpayer money and to set a tone for how town government should work."
  • "...a wonderful opportunity for discussion, dialogue, hearing and considering different and sometimes new points of view, and occasionally changing our minds through that process!  I think Brattleboro is richer for having RTM."

MORE INFORMATION

  • See the Annual Town Meeting Election Calendar for key events and deadlines.
  • Contact the Town Clerk's office for questions about the details for the process, or to request forms mentioned in the Election Calendar document, at 802-251-8157 or email [email protected].

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