Bill > H0421

This bill mandates that by July 1, 2027, every regional planning commission in Vermont must establish a regional council of governments through an inter-municipal agreement. The council will be composed of elected municipal officials and will have the authority to assist local governments in addressing common needs through cooperative activities such as economic development, public safety, emergency management, land use planning, and infrastructure coordination. The council can accept funding from federal, state, and private sources, and may employ staff and experts as needed. Member municipalities can appropriate funds to support the council's operations, and the council can undertake a wide range of activities including engineering, planning services, tourism promotion, data management, and regional resource protection. The bill also allows for councils to create intercouncil committees and share staff between different regional councils, providing flexibility in regional governance. Importantly, while the council will have broad collaborative powers, it cannot exercise essential legislative powers, impose taxes, or use eminent domain. The legislation aims to enhance regional cooperation and more efficiently address shared municipal challenges by creating these collaborative governmental bodies.