Learn More About the Role of Selectboard Member

The Selectboard is at the center of Vermont’s local government. According to Vermont Statute, it is the body that has general supervision and control over the affairs of the town. This includes preparing and presenting the budget, overseeing all town expenditures, supervising personnel, controlling town buildings and property, overseeing the maintenance of all town roads, and enacting local ordinances, regulations, and policies.

Along with Justices of the Peace and the Town Clerk, the Selectboard is also a part of the Board of Civil Authority and Abatement responsible for overseeing elections, tax appeals, and abatement hearings. In Lincoln, the Selectboard serves on the Board of the Walter S. Burnham Foundation Committee and acts as both the local board of health and local liquor control commission.

It is by no means a simple role, but our Selectboard members make a huge impact on day-to-day life in Lincoln.

You may run for a one-, two-, or three-year term. The Selectboard meets regularly on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. Meetings are typically at least 2 hours long. There are often special meetings in between these regular meetings as we approach budget time (January), Town Meeting (March), and the end of our fiscal year (June 30) or when a staff position needs to be filled.

There may be additional time requirements depending on what projects or responsibilities you volunteer for. For example, the Chair and Vice Chair share responsibility for running the meetings, and there are Selectboard members assigned to work closely with town staff on highway projects, grant applications, and public communication.

You can plan to have almost weekly involvement in some aspects of this work, even if it's just responding to email, but keep in mind that our Selectboard has a team of paid staff backing them up. The Town Administrator, Treasurer, Zoning Administrator, Assessor, Selectboard Assistant, and Bookkeeper do the legwork in between meetings, making recommendations and helping to drive decision-making forward. The staff are here to make the Selectboard's job as easy as possible!

The Vermont League of Cities and Towns, an organization that provides technical support and services to municipalities, offers excellent training opportunities for new town officials after each election. Selectboard members become conversant in Open Meeting Law requirements, in particular, which require officials to take certain steps to protect transparency in government decision-making. A lot of training happens on the job. Topics come up and we learn how to address them by working together, asking lots of questions, and having civilized discussions. The VLCT is also a resource we turn to regularly for answers to questions that come up as the Selectboard works to meet the town's challenges, especially when we are uncertain about how to proceed within the law.

Selectboard members do receive a small annual stipend for their work that gets paid out at the end of each year of service. The current amount is $2,000 for each member and $3,000 for the Chair. 

To run for office in March 2025, you’ll need to submit a petition with the signatures of at least 12 registered voters in Lincoln. Reach out to Sally Ober (clerk@lincolnvermont.org) for more information.