House orders third reading for South Burlington charter change to expand school board

The House ordered a third reading of H.886, a charter amendment that would permit the South Burlington school board to expand from five to seven directors and stagger terms to mix incumbents and new members. A member from South Burlington outlined the charter revisions and said voters approved the proposal by a reported margin of roughly 3,815 in favor to 977 against on March 5.

The measure, presented to the House as amendments to the South Burlington charter and relevant sections of Vermont statutes, eliminates obsolete local offices (for example, fence viewer) and explicitly grants the charter authority to set the number of school directors. The sponsor said committee testimony included legislative council, city and former charter committee members and a former school board member; the committee reported a favorable vote as presented to the chamber.

Procedural action: members voted by voice to read the bill a third time and the presiding officer stated that the ayes have it, so third reading was ordered. The bill’s effective date language in the bill was presented as making the act effective upon passage.