§ 2651c. Lack of elected lister; appointment of lister; elimination of office

(a)(1) Notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary and except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, in the event the board of listers of a town falls below a majority and the selectboard is unable to find a person or persons to appoint as a lister or listers under the provisions of 24 V.S.A. § 963, the selectboard may appoint an assessor to perform the duties of a lister as set forth in Title 32 until the next annual meeting.

(2) The appointed person need not be a resident of the town and shall have the same powers and be subject to the same duties and penalties as a duly elected lister for the town.

(b)(1) A town may vote by ballot at an annual meeting to eliminate the office of lister.

(2)(A) If a town votes to eliminate the office of lister, the selectboard shall contract with or employ a professionally qualified assessor, who need not be a resident of the town.

(B) The assessor shall have the same powers, discharge the same duties, proceed in the discharge thereof in the same manner, and be subject to the same liabilities as are prescribed for listers or the board of listers under the provisions of Title 32.

(3) A vote to eliminate the office of lister shall remain in effect until rescinded by majority vote of the registered voters present and voting at an annual meeting warned for that purpose.

(c) The term of office of any lister in office on the date a town votes to eliminate that office shall expire on the 45th day after the vote or on the date upon which the selectboard appoints an assessor under this subsection, whichever occurs first.

(d) The authority to vote to eliminate the office of lister as provided in this section shall extend to all towns except those towns that have a charter that specifically provides for the election or appointment of the office of lister. (Added 2003, No. 125 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2013, No. 21, § 4; 2017, No. 130 (Adj. Sess.), § 3.)