Voter Warnings
WARNING
CITY OF ESSEX JUNCTION
INFORMATIONAL HEARING MARCH 23, 2026 AND
ANNUAL MEETING APRIL 14, 2026
Informational Hearing – Online via Zoom and at 2 Lincoln Street
Monday, March 23, at 6:00 PM
Available options to watch or join the meeting:
- WATCH: the meeting will be live-streamed on Town Meeting TV.
- JOIN ONLINE:Join via Zoom.
- JOIN CALLING:(toll free, audio only) 1(888) 788-0099, Meeting ID: 944 6429 7825; Passcode: 635787
- MODERATOR: All instructions for conduct of the meeting will be guided by the Moderator.
If you have difficulty accessing the hearing, please call or email admin@essexjunction.org.
Under the City of Essex Junction Charter, voting in the Annual City Meeting is entirely by Australian (paper) ballot. A public informational hearing on the Articles to be voted on at Annual Meeting will be held according to 17 V.S.A. § 2680. No voting will take place during this hearing. If you wish to make a public comment but do not have the ability to comment remotely during the meeting, please email your comment(s) to the City Manager at admin@essexjunction.org.
AGENDA will include:
- Discussion of Article I – Adopting the budget
- Discussion of Article 2 – Bond for Public Works Garage
- Discussion of Article 3 – Compensation for City Council members
- Discussion of Article 4 – Charter amendment regarding City President’s compensation
- Discussion of Article 5 – Charter amendment regarding City Council compensation annual adjustment
- Discussion of Article 6 – Charter amendment regarding Charter review schedule
- Discussion of Article 7 – Loan for water service lines
- Discussion of Article 8 – Social Services Contribution
- Discussion of Article 9 – Method of on-time tax payments
- Announcement of offices up for election in Article 10
- Public to be heard (to be moderated)
WARNING
CITY OF ESSEX JUNCTION
ANNUAL MEETING APRIL 14, 2026
7:00 AM TO 7:00 PM
The legal voters of the City of Essex Junction are hereby notified and warned to meet at the Champlain Valley Exposition in the Blue Ribbon Pavilion, 105 Pearl Street in the City of Essex Junction on Tuesday, April 14, 2026 to transact the following business by Australian (paper) ballot. Said voting by Australian (paper) ballot to begin at 7:00 AM and close at 7:00 PM.
ARTICLE 1. Shall the voters approve an annual General Fund Budget in the amount of $12,921,469 for fiscal year July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027, $11,891,682 of which is to be levied in taxes against the City Grand List?
ARTICLE 2. Shall general obligation bonds or notes of the City of Essex Junction in an amount not to exceed Thirteen Million, Nine Hundred and Sixty Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($13,960,000.00) be issued under Chapter 53 of Title 24, Vermont Statutes Annotated, payable from the City’s general fund, derived from the taxation of real property for a period not to exceed thirty years, and subject to reduction by available grants-in-aid or other funding sources, be issued to finance the cost of constructing a public works facility (the Project)?
ARTICLE 3. Should the compensation paid to the City Council members change from $2,500.00 a year to $3,600.00 a year starting July 1, 2027?
ARTICLE 4. Shall the voters approve an amendment to the City of Essex Junction Charter that changes the City Council President’s annual compensation to be twenty-five percent (25%) more than the annual compensation paid to the other City Council members? (strikethrough represents a deletion, and underline represents an addition):
Subchapter 2: Governance Structure
Section 205. Compensation -
(a)(1) The President of the Council shall be paid an annual compensation that is twenty-five percent (25%) more than the annual compensation paid to the other Council members.
ARTICLE 5. Shall the voters approve an amendment to the City of Essex Junction Charter where compensation paid to the City Council members adjusts annually, effective July 1 of each year, in a manner consistent with any percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region, as published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for the most recent calendar year? (strikethrough represents a deletion, and underline represents an addition):
Subchapter 2: Governance Structure
Section 205. Compensation
(a) Compensation paid to the Council members shall be set by the voters at the annual meeting,adjusted annually, effective July 1 of each year, by the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region, as published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for the most recent calendar year, with a minimum of … .
ARTICLE 6. Shall the voters approve an amendment to the City of Essex Junction Charter that states that the City Council shall appoint a Charter Review Committee, at least once every 12 years, to conduct a comprehensive review of the City of Essex Junction Charter? (strikethrough represents a deletion, and underline represents an addition):
Subchapter 12: AMENDMENT OF CHARTER AND INITIATIVES
Section 1202. Charter Review Committee
The City Council shall appoint a Charter Review Committee at least once every twelve (12) years for the purpose of conducting a comprehensive review of this charter. A majority of the Committee’s members shall be residents of the City who are not members of the City Council.
ARTICLE 7. Shall the voters authorize a planning loan through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund for a project in the Water Enterprise Fund to be used for service line material identification and nonlead service line validation as required by federal drinking water regulations in an amount not to exceed $892,771 to be financed over a period not to exceed ten years?
ARTICLE 8. Shall the City of Essex Junction voters approve a one-cent Social Services Contributions tax to support social service organizations, such amount being reasonably necessary and for the support of programs to benefit City of Essex Junction residents?
ARTICLE9. Shall the voters authorize payment of real property taxes in equal installments on March 15 and September 15 by physical delivery or electronic payment to the tax collector by close of business on that date?
ARTICLE 10. To elect City officers required by law including: two City Council member (three-year terms) and one Library Trustee (five-year term)?
Dated this 11th day of March, 2026 by the Essex Junction City Council.