What is a Village

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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