Justice of the Peace

Chittenden Justices of the Peace terms run 2/1/2023-2/1/2025

Allison Briggs

Katherine Hall

Charles Ogg

Linda Reis

Dave Sargent

Jeff Spaulding

Brad White

General Duties:

The responsibilities of Justices of the Peace can be divided into five categories:

1) Elections. Justices of the Peace are members of the Board of Civil Authority (BCA). The BCA is charged with the conduct of all elections that occur in town. Justices of the Peace are also responsible for delivering absentee ballots at election time to voters who are ill or physically disabled.

2) Tax appeals and abatement. As BCA members, Justices of the Peace hear and decide town property tax assessment appeals when local property owners do not agree with the final decision of the assessors. Because Justices of the Peace are BCA members, they also sit as members of their town’s Board of Abatement to determine whether a taxpayer’s property tax obligation should be forgiven under certain circumstances.

3) Marriages. Justices of the Peace may solemnize marriages in Vermont. (Discretionary)

4) Oaths and notarial acts. Justices of the Peace may administer oaths in all cases where an oath is required unless a specific law makes a different provision. Justices of the Peace may also perform notarial acts.

5) Duties as magistrate. If commissioned by the Supreme Court, a Justice of the Peace may also serve as a magistrate.