Sponsored by the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD).
Developed in collaboration with DHCD, the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, the Office of the Vermont Secretary of State, and the Vermont Institute for Government.
The annual report can be one of the most comprehensive and effective ways to keep residents informed of what’s going on in their community and 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.
Voting is now closed for 2025. We thank all the nominators who submitted their town reports for consideration. Read on for more information about this year’s award winners!
2025 Vermont Town Report Contest Award Winners
Round One
We conducted two rounds of judging for the contest. In the first round, nine award winners were selected from the 62 entries (!) by a panel of judges from VLCT, the Vermont Institute for Government, the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, and the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office. Three winners were selected from each of three population categories: fewer than 1,000 residents, 1,000-5,000 residents, and more than 5,000 residents.
To see the evaluation criteria our judges used and learn more about what makes a great town report, view our new resource: Annual Town Report Best Practices Guide.
Round Two
Leading up to the annual VLCT Town Fair, we asked members to choose their favorite report from among the nine awardees. The report that garnered the most votes was announced as the Members Choice Award winner at VLCT Town Fair on October 8, 2025.
Congratulations to the Town of Guilford for winning this year’s Members Choice Award!
Category 1: Population Less than 1,000 | Category 2: Population 1,000 to 5,000 | Category 3: over 5,000 |
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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 want 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 and 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 Vermont 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 to 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 of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns.
- Ted Brady is the Executive Director of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns.