Sponsored by the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development. Developed in collaboration with the Vermont League of Cities & Towns, the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development, the Vermont Secretary of State's office, and the Vermont Institute for Government.
A city's or town's annual report can be one of the most comprehensive and effective ways to keep residents informed of what’s going on in the community and the local government. While the annual audit report is the only legally required component, most Vermont municipalities use their annual report to provide valuable community information for residents. Reports provide a snapshot of the community, in many cases containing municipal departmental updates, budget information, marriage licenses issued, births and deaths, local organizations, awards, and more.
Member’s Choice Voting is Open!
Vote for your favorite report from among this year’s finalists! VOTING IS NOW OPEN online until October 8, or you can cast your vote in person at Town Fair 2025 on October 8 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in South Burlington. The Members' Choice winner will be announced at the Town Fair closing ceremony.
If you haven’t signed up for Town Fair yet, view the schedule of events and register by Wednesday, October 1!
Round One Award Winners
We received 62 entries for the contest. To view the criteria our judges used and to learn more about what makes a great town report, view our Town Report Best Practice Guide.
Click the images to view the winning reports, then use the form below to cast a vote for your favorite!
Category 1: Population Less than 1,000 | Category 2: Population 1,000 to 5,000 | Category 3: over 5,000 |
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Vote Here!
Enter your information in the nomination form below and select your favorite report. Make sure to click on Submit. One entry per person. You must be a municipal staff member or official to participate.
Honorable Mentions
There were so many great submissions, and we thank all the nominees. Voting was tight! Judges were struck by the quality and character of all reports they received. In addition to the finalists above there were a few other standouts we wanted to highlight. You can view these and other town reports on the Vermont Secretary of State’s VT Re-tain repository.
- Brandon Town
- Brattleboro Town
- Calais Town
- Craftsbury Town
- Manchester Town
- Montgomery Town (not available on VT Re-tain)
- Strafford Town
The Judges
- Susan Clark is an educator and member of the Vermont Institute for Government and serves as Town Moderator for the town of Middlesex. She is coauthor of "All Those in Favor: Rediscovering the Secrets of Town Meeting and Community, an exploration of the meaning, history, strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities of Vermont’s Town Meeting tradition", and coauthor of "Slow Democracy".
- Garry Holloway is the Downtown Manager for the Division of Community Planning & Revitalization within the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development’s Department of Housing and Community Development.
- Jacob Hemmerick, AICP is a community planning & policy manager at the Vermont Department of Housing & Community Development in the Division of Community Planning + Revitalization where his work focuses on the Vermont Municipal and Regional Planning Act and the Downtown Development Act, administration of planning grants, state community investment designations, and special projects.
- Jenne Greaves is a Records and Information Management Specialist for the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration within the Secretary of State’s office.
- Kelly Pajala is the newest member of the Municipal Division at the Secretary of State’s Office. She is answering inquiries about municipal matters, developing SOS resources, and responding to public records requests. Kelly was Londonderry’s Town Clerk for 12 years and she served as State Representative for Windham-Windsor-Bennington district from 2017-2024. She also worked briefly for FEMA, coordinating long-term recovery planning for disaster impacted communities in southern Vermont.
- Abigail Friedman is the Municipal Assistance Program Director for the Vermont League of Cities and Towns.
- Ted Brady is the Executive Director for the Vermont League of Cities and Towns.