VERMONT ASSESSORS AND LISTERS ASSOCIATION
BY-LAWS AND CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE I
Name and Objectives
Section 1. Name: The name of the association shall be the Vermont Assessors and Listers Association, hereinafter called the Association.
Section 2. Objectives: The objectives of this Association shall be to improve the standards of assessment practice through education to Listers and Assessors; to provide a clearing house for the collection of information relating to assessment practice; to help educate the tax-paying public on the true nature and importance of the work performed by the assessing officers; and to disseminate the ideas and opinions of the Association to the appropriate policy making bodies.
ARTICLE II
Membership and Dues
Section 1. Regular Members: All elected, appointed or contracted assessment or listing officials in Vermont may become members upon payment of annual dues. Only regular members shall have voting rights or may serve as officers.
Section 2. Subscribing Members: Any person or organization with an interest in assessment may be a nonvoting member at the same rate of dues as a regular member.
Section 3. Dues: Annual dues shall be set by the Board and shall run from July 1st through June 30th.
Section 4. Suspension of Members: Any member found guilty of unprofessional conduct by the Professional Ethics Committee shall be suspended.
Section 5. Fiscal year: The fiscal year of the Association shall be from July 1st through June 30th.
ARTICLE III
Board of Directors
Section 1. Board of Directors: The Board of Directors, hereinafter called the Board, shall consist of the President and one representative and one alternate from each county in the state of Vermont, to be elected by the individual county at the annual meeting, with each county having one vote on the Board. All members of the Board shall be regular members.
Section 2. Governing Body: The governing body of the Association shall be the Board.
Section 3. Officers: The Board shall elect its own officers except the President, who shall be elected by the membership at large at the annual meeting and shall be a regular member of the Association.
Section 4. Compensation: The Board shall determine compensation for the Secretary and Treasurer and any individual or organization retained by the Board to achieve the objectives of the Association.
Section 5. Past President: The most recent past president shall be a member of the Board.
Section 6. Terms of Office: All terms of office shall run from the close of an annual meeting to the close of the next annual meeting.
Section 7. Quorum: For the purposes of transacting official business, a quorum shall consist of not less than seven (7) voting members of the Board, excluding the President.
Section 8. Vacancy in Office: When a vacancy on the Board or in any office shall occur, the Board shall appoint any regular member in good standing to fill the vacancy, who shall serve until the next annual meeting, excepting when a vacancy occurs in the office of President, the Vice President shall immediately succeed thereto.
ARTICLE IV
Duties of the Officers
Section 1. President: The President shall be the chair of the Board and shall preside at all meetings of regular members held for the purpose of transacting Association business; shall appoint all committees, either on own initiative or at the request of the Board; and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Board.
Section 2. Vice President: The Vice President shall exercise all the powers of the President during the President’s absence or inability to act and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Board.
Section 3. Secretary: The Secretary shall give notice and keep minutes of all meetings; have custody of the records of the Association and its seal; and shall attest all necessary instruments.
Section 4. Treasurer: The Treasurer shall be the chief financial agent of the Association and shall exercise such authority and perform such duties as may be prescribed by the Board; shall have custody of all funds, securities, and legal instruments of the Association; and shall be responsible for their safe keeping. To this end, subject to the approval of the Board, the Treasurer may determine the place and manner of depositing and safe keeping of such funds, securities and legal instruments.
ARTICLE V
Funds
Section 1. Disbursement: It shall be the duty of the Board to prescribe the method for handling receipts and disbursing the funds of the Association.
Section 2. Bonds: The Treasurer and any other officer, agent or employee of the Association who may be designated by the Board may be required to furnish a bond in such amount and with such securities as the Board shall approve. The cost of said bond shall be paid by the Association and the securities shall be deposited and kept as the Board may direct.
Section 3. Audit: Within one (1) month following the close of the fiscal year, the Treasurer shall submit to the Board all financial records of the Association. An auditing committee shall be appointed by the President to examine all books and records and submit a report of its findings to the Board at the second meeting of the Board in the new fiscal year.
Section 4. Scholarship: Current VALA members in good standing may apply for assessment related course financial assistance through the “Scholarship Eligibility Requirements and Application Form” to the Chair of the Education Committee. The Committee may authorize up to $1,050.00 for Scholarships granted each fiscal year. The maximum individual scholarship amount will be $150.00.
Scholarships shall be awarded by majority decision of at least 3 members of the Education Committee. The Directors may alter the “Scholarship Eligibility Requirements and Application Form” as the need requires.*
ARTICLE VI
Meetings
Section 1. Annual Meeting: The annual meeting of the members and the election of the President shall be held during the month of September following a fifteen (15) day written notice to the members of the Association.
Section 2. Board Meetings: Meetings of the Board shall be held upon the call of the President or upon request in writing by any five (5) members of the Board. At least five (5) days notice shall be given all members of the Board by the Secretary. Notices may be given by telephone, or by mail or telegram sent to the member’s last known address.
Section 3. Agenda: An item on the agenda at the annual meeting shall be the election of the President and County representatives to the Board.
Section 4. County and/or Regional Chapters: Any county or area of the state may form a regional chapter of the Association. Such chapter shall be guided by the Constitution of the parent Association. The county director or directors of such chapter shall be chair or co-chair. The objectives of any such chapter shall be the same objectives as those of the Association, except the objective “to disseminate ideas and opinions to the appropriate policy making bodies”. This objective shall be met through the Board of Directors of the Association. Each chapter shall be responsible for any and all expenses they may incur.
ARTICLE VII
Elections
Section 1. Holding elections: The manner of holding elections including forms to be used, the method of voting, the counting of ballots, and the rules of procedure pertaining thereto, shall be prescribed by the Board.
ARTICLE VIII
Amendments
Section 1. How amended: This Constitution may be amended by a majority vote of the regular members in good standing, present and voting at an annual meeting or at a special meeting duly warned for such purpose, where notice of any proposed amendment shall have been sent to all regular members not less than fifteen (15) days prior to any such meeting.
Section 2. How proposed: Amendments may be proposed either by initiatory petition signed by not less than ten (10) regular members or by resolution of the Board. Such petitions or resolutions shall be placed in the hands of the President or Secretary, who shall, within the time hereinbefore prescribed, notify all regular members that such proposed amendments shall be voted at the next meeting of members.
ARTICLE IX
Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct
Section 1. Purpose: The purpose of this Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct are to establish ethical and professional guidelines for assessing officials and other members of the Association and to set forth standards by which to judge a member whose conduct is in question.
Section 2. Professional Ethics Committee: The Professional Ethics Committee shall be appointed by the President, with Appellants right to appeal to the Board. Appellants shall be provided with all pertinent evidence prior to any Ethics Committee action.
Section 3. Conduct: Members of the Association shall conduct themselves in a manner that will reflect favorable on themselves, the appraisal profession, the property tax system and the Association, and avoid any action that could discredit themselves or these entities.
Section 4. Performance: Members of the Association shall perform their duties in accordance with applicable laws and regulations and apply them uniformly and fairly; perform all appraisal or other assessment related assignments to the best of their ability and in accordance with the Standards of Professional Conduct adopted by the Association.
Section 5. Prohibited Activities: Members of the Association shall accept no appraisal or assessment related assignment that could reasonably be construed as being in conflict with their responsibility to their jurisdiction, employer, or client, or in which they have an unrevealed personal interest or bias or which they are not qualified to perform.
Section 6. Reporting Unethical Practices: Members of the Association should report to the Association’s Professional Ethics Committee any unethical practices or other actions by Association members which reflect discredit upon the Association or the appraisal and assessment profession.
Section 7. Cooperation: The Association members and officers shall cooperate fully with the Professional Ethics Committee in all matters related to the enforcement of this code.
Section 8. Responsibility of Membership: The Association members and officers shall subscribe to this Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct and the Constitution of the Association as they may be amended from time to time.
ARTICLE X
Legislative Policy
Section 1. Vermont Assessment Policy: The broad outline of assessment policies to be supported by the Vermont Assessor and Lister Association during the ensuing legislative session will be developed by the Legislative Committee; reviewed and amended as needed and approved by the Board of Directors and adopted at the Annual meeting. Suggested policy initiatives and amendments may also be presented by members, in writing, prior to the meeting or on the floor at the meeting. The existing language of the Assessment Policy shall remain unchanged from year to year unless amended by two-thirds of the votes cast at the Association’s Annual Meeting.
Section 2. Specific Legislation: The Legislative Committee may recommend specific proposals of legislation within the adopted Assessment Policy for consideration by the Board of Directors.
Section 3. Policy Proposals: The Board of Directors may, from time to time, during the legislative session adopt VALA proposals consistent with VALA policies.
* By vote at the September 14, 2007 Annual Meeting