This resource was written by Edward T. Howe. It is a 24 page overview of the history and current status of Villages in Vermont. At the time of writing, 40 incorporated villages existed. The current number in 2022 will soon be 33 with the dissolution of Perkinsville and the transition of Essex Jct from a village to a City.
Historically, Villages were created in Vermont when a population grew up in a concentrated spot, creating particular needs for that population that were different from the needs of the surrounding town. Edward T. Howe writes in his paper: Vermont Incorporated Villages: A Vanishing Institution - that incorporated villages have been around since 1816 (Middlebury) and Vermont villages are in some ways unique in their form and power to the needs of communities in our State.
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An incorporated village in Vermont is a political sub-unit. It is a municipality (village) within a municipality (town). For residents, being part of a village is *in addition to* being part of the town. Vermont law allows for a town to create a village within its boundaries at the request of the residents who live in that area. This formation process results in a village with powers as defined in the statutes and that are the common practice of villages. Additionally, a village can propose a charter to the legislature which can expand or reduce its powers if the legislature approves the proposed charter.
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The range of activities that villages in Vermont have authority over varies from place to place with some running just a water systems to others that manage roads, power generation / distribution, and wastewater.
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