♦ DOG LICENSES:
For frequently asked questions regarding dog licenses please click here.
♦ MARRIAGE LICENSES:
For frequently asked questions about marriage licenses please click here.
♦ SELECTBOARD:
What does the Selectboard do?
The Selectboard’s overall mission is to oversee the town’s operations and finances, ensuring that local governance is conducted efficiently and responsibly for the benefit of residents. The Selectboard makes financial decisions for the town, sets the annual budget, and works diligently to adhere to this budget throughout the fiscal year. They address a wide variety of issues that may arise in the community, including roads, public buildings, events, and concerns raised by residents. Each month, the Selectboard reviews the Highway and General Budgets, Investment Accounts, Sheriff’s report, discusses activities at the Recycling Center, monitors current grants and their progress, and evaluates ongoing maintenance needs for town buildings.
One of their responsibilities is to manage the bidding process for services such as mowing and for larger town projects. This process typically involves advertising the need for services or projects, receiving bids from qualified vendors or contractors, and then evaluating these bids to select the most suitable option. By publicly soliciting and reviewing bids, the Selectboard promotes transparency, encourages fair competition, and ensures that town funds are spent responsibly and efficiently.
The Selectboard is also responsible for creating and updating Selectboard policies as needed, and for handling incoming correspondence from the public, making certain that the voices and concerns of residents are heard and addressed.
How does the Town get money to function?
The town gets its funding from three main sources: grants, state programs, and property taxes. Grant money is used for projects like highway improvements and building maintenance. The town also receives money from state programs like PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes), which helps cover the cost of services for state-owned buildings that do not pay local property taxes. The Hold Harmless program provides funds for land enrolled in Vermont’s Current Use program, which encourages landowners to conserve farmland and forests by offering them tax benefits. Property taxes make up the rest of the town’s budget. The amount each property owner pays is based on the municipal tax rate, which is calculated by dividing the amount of money the town needs to raise by the Grand List, the total assessed value of all taxable property in town. This system ensures that everyone pays a fair share based on the value of their property, so those with higher-valued properties contribute more to town services and projects.
When are the Selectboard meetings?
The Selectboards regular monthly meetings are held on the third Monday of each month. You can view agendas for upcoming meetings as well as minutes from previous meetings by clicking here. Please note that per Vermont Statute 1 V.S.A. §312(c) agendas are not required to be posted until at least 48 hours before a regular meeting and 24 hours before a special meeting. This date may change to accommodate members’ schedules and any deviation from the regular meeting date will be posted in each of the places the original meeting date is posted.
Why did the Town purchase the large digital sign at the Town Garage/ Recycling Center?
The Selectboard decided to use ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds to purchase the digital sign at the Town Garage/ Recycling Center to help increase transparency in Town board meetings as well as inform the public about other Town events. Not everyone has access to internet and the Town website, and this is a way to help inform the public about upcoming meetings in a different format aside from traditional agenda postings.
♦ PLANNING COMMISSION/ DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD:
What does the Planning Commission do?
The planning commission reviews zoning bylaws and considers proposed amendments to ensure that land use regulations align with the community’s long-term development goals. Additionally, the commission works with the Selectboard and the Zoning Administrator to address concerns related to growth, infrastructure, and environmental impact. They also help design and update the Town Plan as needed. Through these responsibilities, the Planning Commission helps guide orderly development and promote responsible land use within the jurisdiction. Planning Commission members are appointed by the Selectboard and serve five year terms.
What does the Development Review Board do?
The Development Review Board evaluates and carefully examines each project brought to them to ensure compliance with the local zoning bylaws, assesses potential community impact, and provides recommendations for improvements or approvals. By facilitating open communication between property owners, and residents, the board helps maintain balanced growth and preserves the character of the community while supporting new development initiatives. Development Review Board members re appointed by the Selectboard and serve five year terms.
What requires a hearing in front of the Development Review Board?
Some projects that would require a hearing in front of the Development Review Board would be multiple household dwellings, household businesses, Salvage Yards, Self-Storage Units, Short Term Rentals, Wind Energy Systems, Subdivisions creating three or more lots, plus more items. For a full list please see page 3 of the Westfield Zoning Bylaws for which zoning issues require a hearing in front of the Development Review Board.
♦ ALL TOWN BOARDS:
When are the minutes and recordings from meetings posted on the website?
Per Vermont Statute 1 V.S.A. §312, meeting minutes must be available for inspection five days after the meeting. Recordings must be posted when the minutes are made publicly available and must remain posted for at least 30 days following the approval of the meeting minutes.
You can view minutes from all the town boards by clicking here.
You can view currently available recordings of meetings by clicking here.
How do I know when the Selectboard and other Town boards meet?
Meeting dates and times are posted on the town website, westfield.vt.gov. On this site you can find meetings on the calendar as well as on the minutes/agendas page. Agendas are also posted at the Town Office, the Westfield General Store and the Recycling Center. Meetings are also posted on the small digital signs that reside within the Town Office and within the Recycling Center as well as on the large digital sign on the lawn in front of the Town Garage/Recycling Center.
The regular monthly meetings of boards are as follows: (Note that changes may be made to accommodate board members schedules, and notice of the change in date will be noticed on the Town website along with all other posting locations.)
Selectboard: 3rd Monday of the month
Library Board of Trustees: 2nd Tuesday of the month
Development Review Board: 1st Tuesday of the month (When Needed)
Can I attend meetings of the Town boards?
Members of the public are welcome and encouraged to attend all town board meetings. Executive or Deliberative sessions of a board are held in private.
Who can speak at meetings?
Anyone who would like to speak at a town board meeting is welcome to. There is a designated public comment section on the agenda for people to speak on any topic that is not on the agenda. The Chairperson will tell the participant the speaking time limit. People are also welcome to speak on any topic that is on the agenda, when recognized by the Chairperson.
Can I participate in meetings via Zoom?
Zoom links to meetings are provided on the top of each agenda as well as instructions on how to join meetings via phone. Zoom meeting links are also posted on the Town website prior to the meeting.
♦ TOWN OFFICE:
What does the Town Clerk/ Assistant Town Clerk do?
The Town Clerk and Assistant Town Clerk oversee a variety of tasks. The largest responsibility the clerks have is to maintain the town’s land and vital records. These records include birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates, property deeds, mortgages, zoning permits, and many other documents. All records must be properly recorded and preserved in the town vault.
Additional responsibilities include licensing dogs, maintaining the town website, assisting various town boards with their meetings and documentation, and running town, federal, and state elections. The Clerks also apply for and utilize grant funds. Other daily tasks include responding to public inquiries, processing permit applications, and updating official records.
What does the Treasurer do?
The Treasurer is responsible for managing all of the town’s monetary funds. They provide monthly updates to the Selectboard and Library Board of Trustees about their budgets and investments. The Treasurer processes employee payroll and maintains employee benefits programs. They also handle incoming revenues from sources such as the recycling center and office fees for copies, recordings, and permits. Additionally, the Treasurer pays all of the town’s bills. Collecting property taxes and working with the Clerks to utilize and report on grant money are also part of their duties.
♦ TOWN MEETING/ ELECTIONS:
I’ve never been to a Town Meeting, what can I expect?
Westfields Town Meeting takes place at the Community Center, located at 59 North Hill Road, and serves as an important opportunity for residents to make decisions about their community. First, the meeting is divided into two main parts: the annual school meeting and the annual town meeting. During the school meeting, voters decide on the schools’ annual budget (Jay-Westfield Joint Elementary School, North Country Union Junior High School and North Country Union High School), school board positions, and the school district treasurer. Next, the town meeting covers issues such as electing town officials (Selectboard, Town Clerk, Treasurer, Library Board of Trustees), approving the general and highway budgets, and considering town appropriation requests.
Voting at the meeting happens in two ways. Some items are decided by a floor vote, where everyone present votes directly—often by saying “yes” or “no” aloud. Other items use the Australian Ballot system, which means voters receive a paper ballot from election workers, mark their choices privately, and then place the ballot in a box to be counted when the polls close at 7PM. Additionally, if a federal presidential primary is happening at the same time, you will also receive those ballots at the meeting.
Your participation in Westfields Town Meeting helps shape our community’s future. We encourage all eligible voters to attend and make their voices heard.
When is Town Meeting Day held?
Town Meeting is held the first Tuesday in March at 10 am at the Westfield Community Center, 59 North Hill Road, Westfield, VT 05874. Residents wishing to register to vote may fill out an application at the Town Clerk’s Office or Vermont now has same day voter registration.
♦ ELECTIONS/ VOTING:
Where are elections held and what time are the polls open?
Elections are normally held at the Westfield Community Center, 59 North Hill Road. Polling hours are 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. Occasionally an election is held at the Town Clerk’s Office, 38 School Street. Feel free to call (802) 744-2484 to verify where a specific election is being held or sign up for the Secretary of State’s My Voter Page to track this type of information and order absentee ballots online.
How can I get an absentee ballot?
You can request an absentee ballot by visiting, calling or emailing the Town Office, or by visiting My Voter Page. Absentee ballots can be requested until 4PM the day prior to an election. Absentee ballots must be returned to the Town Office by 4PM the day prior to the election or brought to the polls before they close at 7PM on election day. General Election ballots in Vermont are automatically mailed to all registered voters, you do not need to request an absentee ballot for these elections.
♦ ZONING:
When do I need a zoning permit?
Zoning permits are required prior to any construction, reconstruction, conversion, structural alteration, relocation or enlargement of any building, or other structure, or of any mining, excavation of landfill, and any change in the use of any building or other structure, or land, or extension of use of land and division of land. New driveways require a curb cut permit. Applications and information are available at the Town Clerk’s Office. Visit the Permits and Fees Page for more information.
I am looking for information on wastewater systems for a certain property, where would I find that information?
You can visit the Agency of Natural Resources wastewater permit search page to find information on private wastewater systems.
♦ RECYCLING:
For all information on recycling including the Recycling Center hours and what items are and are not recyclable, please visit the Recycling page by clicking here. The Recycling Center is located at 757 VT Route 100 (the Town Garage) and is open on Saturdays from 8AM to 12PM.
♦ GENERAL QUESTIONS:
Do I need a burn permit to burn?
Yes, burn permits are required. They are issued by the Westfield Fire Warden, Jim Crawford, (802) 673-6953.
How do I get water service in the Village of Westfield?
Water service for the Village is provided by Westfield Fire District #1. Contact Daniel McAvinney at (802) 744-6272 or dmcavinney@gmail.com, for assistance. Water payments are sent to: Westfield Fire District #1, P.O. Box 251, Troy, Vt 05868.
Where is the Department of Motor Vehicles located?
Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles is located at 100 Main Street, Suite 130, Newport, VT 05855. Hours are Monday – Friday 7:45 am to 4 pm. Telephone 802-334-3363. Registration renewals may be done at the Town Clerk’s office, 38 School Street, Westfield, VT 05874, as long as they are no more than 2 months delinquent. There is a $3 service charge payable to the Town of Westfield for each registration renewed. Registration fees must be paid by check or money order if paid at the Town Clerk’s office and the white renewal registration form is required to complete the transaction.
Where can I purchase a hunting license?
Vermont Hunting and Fishing Licenses are available online at http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/buylicense.cfm.
Where do I go to file for a Homestead Declaration and where do I find that information?
Homestead Declarations are to be filed each year by every Vermont resident whose property meets the definition of a homestead. A Vermont homestead is the principal dwelling and parcel of land surrounding the dwelling, owned and occupied by a resident individual as the individual’s domicile on April 1. If your homestead is leased to a tenant on April 1, you may still claim it as a homestead if it is not leased for more than 182 days in the calendar year.
- Download fillable PDF forms from the web at www.bit.ly/vttaxforms
- Order forms by email: tax.formsrequest@vermont.gov
- Order forms by phone at (855) 297-5600 (toll free in the U.S.) or (802) 828-2515
Visit the Property Taxes Page for additional property tax information.
When are property taxes due?
Property taxes are due to the Town Treasurer/Clerk’s Office by 4 p.m. the first Thursday in October. PLEASE BE ADVISED POSTMARKS ARE NOT ACCEPTED.
When are property tax bills mailed?
Tax bills are generally mailed by the first week of August each year. One tax bill is mailed to each property owner of record as of April 1st. If a property sells after April 1st, it is the responsibility of the original owner to forward the tax bill to the new owner.
Where do I mail my property tax payment and to whom is the check payable to?
Property taxes are mailed to the Town Clerk’s Office, 38 School Street, Westfield, VT 05874. The check is made payable to: Town of Westfield. Please allow adequate time for your payment to arrive and be advised postmarks are not accepted. It is helpful if you write the Parcel ID in the memo section of your check. Your Parcel ID number can be found on the top left corner of your tax bill. Payments may also be made in person at the Town Clerk’s Office or dropped in the secure drop box to the left of the front door. The drop box is checked every workday. Online payments can be made through Municipay by clicking here. There is a flat $1.50 fee if you pay using your checking account number and routing number or a 2.65% fee if paying using a debit or credit card.
What is the phone number for the post office?
Westfield no longer has a post office. The closest post offices for P.O. Box rentals are the Lowell Post Office (802) 744-2706, the Troy Post Office (802) 744-2708 and Montgomery Center Post Office (802) 326-4246.
How do I get an E9-1-1 address?
After obtaining a Curb Cut Permit from the Zoning Administrator, contact Roger Gosselin, E911 Coordinator at westfieldvt911coordinator@gmail.com or 802-274-4502 and he will assign an E911 address after visiting your site. Adding or deleting a building site or road additions or changes are also reasons to contact the E911 Coordinator.
How may I become a member of a town board or commission?
Vacancies to positions are posted as they become available. Call the Town Clerk’s Office for information about the appointment process for town boards and commissions.
