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, and the Vermont Institute for Government.
Nominate Your Municipal Report for the Vermont Town Report Contest
Is your town, city, or village annual report something special?
A community’s town report can be one of the most comprehensive and effective ways to keep residents informed of what’s going on in a community. While the only legislatively required component of the annual report is the audit statement, 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.
Instructions
Please fill out the form below and click on Submit. Any municipal official (elected or appointed) can nominate their town report for consideration. Multiple nominations for one municipality are allowed, but the number of nominations will not be considered during evaluation.
Your town report will be pulled from the Vermont Archives and Research Administration's Re*tain repository and or from your municipal website. If you would like to verify that we have the correct version of your report, email info@vlct.org
Nomination Deadline: Friday, August 15
Evaluation Criteria
Reports will be evaluated against other nominations in three population tiers: below 1,000, between 1,001 and 5,000, and over 5,000. Awards will be given to the top three reports in each tier. Any city, town, or village is eligible to enter.
A panel of judges from VLCT, DHCD, the Secretary of State’s Office, and the Vermont Institute for Government will review nominated reports and rank them based on:
- Appeal of Town Report Cover. Does the report cover represent the community, demonstrate the community’s assets, and engage the reader?
- Best Report Dedication. If the report is dedicated to a community member, is the dedication well written, presented in a way that explains the person’s importance to the community, and include a photo?
- Ease of Readability. Is the report easy to navigate, are budgets accompanied by narratives, are officer and department reports well written, is it offered in multiple languages, is it online, is a print copy easily accessible?
- Utility of the Report. Does the report have a greater purpose than preparing voters for Town Meeting? For example, does the report include contact information for local elected and appointed officials, is there an orientation to the community with information about the community’s services, are financials presented in an effective manner with a narrative?
- Presentation of Financial Information. Does the report include any novel and useful approaches to breaking down the town’s finances, including the use of graphs or highlights of things citizens are likely interested in (salaries, comparisons to previous years, etc.)? All entries must meet the basic legal requirements of Town Reports and include the Town Meeting warning, audit, and financial information.
Members Choice Award
The top three award winners for each category will be selected by an independent panel and posted on the VLCT website on September 26, 2025. We will then ask all members to vote on their favorite report between September 26 and October 8 for a special "Members Choice" award to be presented at the finalists' award ceremony at Town Fair.
Timeline
- Nominations Due: August 15
- Judging Complete: September 10
- Notification of Finalists: September 26
- Member's Choice Nominations: September 26 to October 8
- Awards Ceremony: October 8 (at VLCT Town Fair)