Boards & Committees

Boards and committees fulfill an important role in town government by evaluating issues which affect the community and making recommendations to the Town Selectboard for action. The value of these bodies is a direct reflection of the interest and dedication of our citizens in making Essex a better place to live, work and play. 

Bds and Com vacancies landscape

Vacant Seats

Do you have some time, a skill, or technical knowledge you would like to share to work toward solving complex issues and recommending policies that help to to shape the kind of community in which you live? Interested residents are needed to serve vacancies for boards, committees, and commissions. 

Stipend Program

The Town of Essex is a racially and socially equitable, welcoming and engaged community where all can thrive because community members and leaders hold each other accountable to ensure a safe, supportive, and just environment.

The Town of Essex recognizes that participation should be accessible to everyone and is one of the first communities in Vermont committed to providing stipends for volunteers appointed or elected to a board, commission or committee that meets with a routine schedule. Volunteers appointed to boards, committees or commissions may receive a $50 per meeting stipend to assist with indirect expenses such as childcare assistance, food, or transportation. 

You must be officially appointed or elected by the Town of Essex to be eligible. Please contact your staff representative or committee chair for more information on how to enroll. You may also send inquiries to Tammy Getchell, Assistant to the Manager at tgetchell@essex.org or 878-1341.

Reappointments

In the interest of furthering efforts for public engagement and inclusivity, and to encourage community members with diverse backgrounds, experience, opinions, and ideas, the Selectboard advertises seats that have expiring terms. All applicants for upcoming expiring seats will be interviewed by the Selectboard. 

Advertising seats, rather than automatically reappointing, provides a higher level of transparency and accountability, with the hope to invite more members of the community to participate in local government. 

Volunteers who have expiring terms are encouraged to reapply for another term. Volunteers who offer their time to serve on advisory boards and committees are invaluable to supporting activities and decisions for the entire town. 

Watch Recorded Meetings

Can’t make it to a meeting but would like to see what happened? Town Meeting TV records the Selectboard and Planning Commission meetings. For meetings not covered by Town Meeting TV, the Town of Essex now has a YouTube Channel with growing playlists as we increase access to hybrid meetings. 

Town of Essex Official YouTube Channel

townmeetingtv

YouTube Channel