Vermont Has Several Types of Municipalities
"Vermont's municipal structure is older than the United States itself."
Vermont's municipal structure reflects New England traditions. Unlike most states, Vermont never reorganized its towns into counties with strong county governments. The town remains the basic unit of local government.
towns — the foundation of Vermont local government
The Four Types — Click to Explore
Select any municipality type below to see its governance structure, description, and examples from across Vermont:
Governance: Selectboard (3–5 members)
The default form of Vermont local government. A town is a defined geographic area with its own selectboard, town clerk, and annual town meeting. Most Vermonters live in a town.
Examples: Stowe, Woodstock, Middlebury, Randolph
Governance: Mayor + City Council
Cities have a city charter granted by the Vermont legislature and are governed by a mayor and city council instead of a selectboard. Cities don't hold traditional town meetings.
Examples: Burlington, Montpelier, Rutland City, Barre City, St. Albans City, South Burlington, Winooski, Newport City, Vergennes, Essex Junction
Governance: Village trustees
A village is a densely settled area within a town that has incorporated separately to provide specific services (water, sewer, streetlights). Residents pay taxes to both the town and the village.
Examples: Woodstock Village (inside Woodstock Town)
Governance: None or county
Leftover survey artifacts from Vermont's founding. Gores and grants are unorganized territories with no local government. They're governed at the county level.
Examples: Avery's Gore, Warner's Grant
Why It Matters
The type of municipality determines who governs it, how you vote on local issues, and what taxes you pay. If you live in a village inside a town, you'll have two sets of officials representing you locally.
Cities like Burlington and Montpelier hold regular elections and don't hold the traditional Town Meeting Day floor vote. But residents still elect their representatives and vote on budgets.