Elected and Appointed Officers

3 year term. Auditors review local officials’ accounts and report their findings directly to the voters before the annual town meeting. They serve the critical role of presenting a comprehensive picture of the town’s finances and ensuring public officials remain accountable to the voters.

Hears tax appeals from property owners. The Selectboard, Town Clerk, and the Justices of the Peace make up the board. Serving on the Board of Abatement is considered part of their official duties and is required.

Governs elections, including setting dates, poll hours and counting ballots. The Selectboard, Town Clerk, and Justices of the Peace make up the BCA.

5 year term. Care and manage Craftsbury’s public cemeteries owned by the Town. Currently, the cemeteries in Craftsbury are not owned by the Town.

2 year term. Although historically Justices of the Peace performed important judicial functions in towns, the tasks of today’s JPs are primarily: to administer oaths of office; to perform marriage ceremonies and civil unions; and to serve on the Board of Civil Authority.

The number of justices allocated to each town is apportioned to population; Craftsbury has five justices. Because the JP position used to involve great political influence, the nominating procedure is very different from that of other town officers. Justices are nominated for office at the September political party primaries in each even-numbered year. (Independent candidates may also have their names placed on the ballot by petition.) Justices are elected biennially on the first Tuesday in November.

1 year term. Runs and presides over town meetings, ensuring that the meetings are fair, efficient, and open to all participants. The moderator helps set the agenda and review ballot items, calls the meetings to order, and follows the rules of order established by the town.

4 year term. Elected Town Representative for the Craftsbury Public Library.

3 year term. Listers determine the value of the real and personal property in the town. The Selectboard then sets a tax rate necessary to raise the money to pay for town services and schools. The Craftsbury Board of Listers, like most Vermont towns, consists of three members. They are elected one position per year for three-year terms. For more on listers’ responsibilities, see “About Property Taxes.”

3 year term. The Selectboard is at the center of town government in Vermont, and Craftsbury is no exception. Craftsbury has a three-member Selectboard. Members are elected by Craftsbury voters at town meeting, for staggered three year term. The Selectboard is responsible for the general supervision of town affairs. It has a number of functions, including some that  are legislative  (enacts  local, ordinances, regulations and policies), and others that are executive/administrative (prepares the budget, oversees all town expenditures, supervises town employees, and controls town buildings and property). It also does work that is quasi-judicial-for example, it determines private rights when the town is laying out and reclassifying town highways.

Selectboard members want to hear from you. The sooner they hear from you about a problem, or the earlier in a decision-making process you offer your comments, the better it is for everyone. Selectboard members welcome questions, concerns or just chatting with Craftsbury citizens, and encourage you to contact them by phone, e-mail, or in person. 

Citizens are always welcome to attend Selectboard meetings. The agenda is posted at the Genny Store, Post Office and the Town Hall, or you can request one from the Selectboard. Selectboard meetings are held on the 1st and 3rd  Tuesday of every month at 7  p.m. at the Town Hall. To get a particular issue on the agenda, contact the Selectboard.

2 year term. Town representative on the Lamoille Solid Waste District Board.

3 year term. The Town Clerk’s office, located in Craftsbury Town Hall, is the hub of town activity. Not only does the Town Clerk run Craftsbury’s elections; this is where you go if you want to look at town records (land, birth, death, marriage, you name it), ask a question about local taxes, or license your dog. Many meeting notices are also posted at this office.

Vermont law entrusts the Town Clerk with an extraordinary list of duties, ranging from recording, preserving and certifying public documents to administering oaths of office, running the local elections, maintaining the grand list, issuing marriage licenses, and licensing animals.

The Town Clerk is elected at Town Meeting for a three year term. Craftsbury also has an Assistant Town Clerk, appointed by the Town Clerk. The Town Clerk is an independent official, answerable only to the voters. S/he may set the clerk’s office hours.

3 year term. The Treasurer is elected at Town Meeting to a three-year term and is responsible for keeping the town’s financial accounts, investing money received by the town (with the approval of the Selectboard), keeping a record of the taxes voted, and paying orders drawn on town accounts. The Treasurer works with the auditors to settle town accounts prior to town meeting, and is often called upon to provide the Selectboard with financial information. Voters may elect the same person to be both Clerk and Treasurer.

3 year term. Manage, invest, and report on real and personal property held in trust by the town, including cemetery trust funds.

3 year term. Manages the WWII funds.

1 year term. The 9-1-1 coordinator acts as a bridge between your physical address and emergency services. They ensure your address information in the state’s 9-1-1 database accurately reflects your actual location on maps. This accuracy is crucial for emergency responders to find you quickly in times of need.

1 year term. The Animal Control Officer addresses issues like noise disturbances caused by animals, large animals at large, dangerous or vicious dog incidents, reports of animal bites, investigations into animal cruelty and neglect, care for injured animals, and other related calls for assistance within the community.

1 year term. Provides part-time law enforcement for the Town, including traffic control and speed enforcement, welfare checks, serving civil notices, animal control services and other law enforcement needs.

1 year term. It is the job of the Collector of Delinquent Taxes to notify taxpayers when their taxes are overdue, to make arrangements for late payments, or to take formal collection actions, including conducting tax sales of the property when necessary. This official must keep records of all delinquent accounts, and provide an accounting of them for the Town Report.

1 year term. Inspect or help resolve boundary disputes. Primarily a historical position with few duties today.

1 year term. The town Fire Warden is in charge of preventing and managing forest fires, which can be a serious threat in Vermont.

1 year term. Organizer of Craftsbury’s Green Up Day.

1 year term. Addresses public health and safety issues like contaminated water, dog bites, home burials, failing septic systems, unhealthy living conditions and mental health. The Health Officer can connect people with resources and resolve complaints.

1 year term. Help resolve disputes around the weight or measurement of lumber and Wood. Primarily a historical position with few duties today.

1 year term. Town representatives of the NEK Communiations Union District Board.

1 year term. Town representatives on the NVDA Board.

1 year term. The Road Forman has the critical job of maintaining the town’s highways, according to their classification specifications. This includes keeping the bridges and culverts in good repair, and seeing that the roads are properly graded, surfaced, graveled, and maintained for winter use. The Road Commissioner is appointed to a one-year term by the Selectboard in Craftsbury; by state law, this official has no independent authority to act, but can only carry out the orders of the Selectboard. The Road Commissioner oversees the road crew, and regularly reports to the Selectboard on the status of town roads. Reports include long-term planning for capital needs for the highway department, specific expenditures and road reclassifications.

1 year term. Responsible for taking Select Board minutes.

1 year term. Provides and receives info on criminal offenses to State and local law enforcement. Historically, the position had the power to enforce, investigate and prosecute criminal misdemeanor laws. The position is mostly obsolete.

1 year term. The Town Service Officer is charged with assisting individuals within the town who require emergency food, fuel or shelter assistance, but only when the Vermont Department of Social Welfare is closed on weekends or after hours.

1 year term. Manages street trees and trees on town property and rights of way. Includes maintenance and plantings for shade and aesthetics, removal of diseased or dying trees, and controlling diseases or insects such as the emerald ash borer.

1 year term. Town representatives for VT Emergency Management