Local Government

Should Voters Be Able to Recall Elected Officials in Burlington?

Nicci Kadilak

— 2 min read
Should Voters Be Able to Recall Elected Officials in Burlington?
Red Check Mark on Box in Close Up View
Photo by Tara Winstead on Pexels.

Town Meeting next week will hear a proposed article to introduce a mechanism to recall elected officials in Burlington if their behavior meets certain criteria.

Currently there is not a mechanism in the town's bylaws to recall an elected official whose actions represent the town poorly or put the town at risk. The General Bylaw Review Committee has proposed a new bylaw that establishes such a process. According to the most recent version of the warrant article, grounds for recall under this law would be:

  • Ethical Violations
  • Ethical Misconduct
  • Criminal Activity
  • Failure to Fulfill Duties

The process for a resident to recall elected officials in Burlington would begin with a certified letter mailed to the official and the Town Clerk, asserting the grounds for recall and giving the official time to respond. Following that period, the resident would gather a petition with signatures from 1% of registered voters in town (This would come out to around 170.) Once that petition is certified, it goes to the Select Board, who will give the official the opportunity to resign. If they do not, the Select Board will call for a recall election within 90 days.

In the Town Meeting Backup, the General Bylaw Review Committee describes this process as a "safety net," established proactively to protect Burlington in the unlikely case that an elected official engages in wrongdoing. The process is laborious, and the group points out that recalls aren't always, or even often, successful. But, they say, "We believe that simply having this mechanism in our bylaws will encourage all elected officials to fulfill their duties with the knowledge that actions falling into the [above] categories will NOT be tolerated."

What do you think? Take your opportunity to weigh in at TownVote, brought to you by the civic platform, VoteLight, which seeks to connect voters with those who represent them. Read more about our partnership with VoteLight.

Town Meeting begins on Monday, September 23, 2024, and will continue into Wednesday, September 24, if needed. Find the full Warrant and Backup on the Town Meeting website.

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