The Vermont Institute for Government |
The Vermont
Citizenship Comprehensive Examination: |
| The idea for this examination came from a section on how to calculate local property taxes in Zadock Thomspon's The Youth's Assistant to Theoretic and Practical Arithmetic, published in Burlington in 1835. We figure that there is a basic foundation of information that every Vermont citizen ought to have within his or her command and that a test, even if used as a pre-test, would be the best way to teach this material. The test includes forty parts of five questions each, or two hundred in all. If you're counting , that comes to two hundred questions at one-half point a piece, but counting and scoring isn't the point. Knowing the answers is. That's why we've provided an answer sheet. Like all tests, this one can be criticized for the assumptions it makes and the answers it gives. We can take criticism, and we'd love to hear from you. Ready? Recommended time to finish : 90 minutes. |
Assessment of Taxes 1. If a town, the grand list of which is $1,000,000, votes a budget of $1,500,000, which includes an appropriation of revenues of $250,000, what is the tax rate for town taxes? Answer 2. A taxpayer in that town owns property assessed at $100,000. How much will the taxpayer owe in town taxes on that property? Answer 3. If that taxpayer is delinquent, calculate the penalty and interest due on the day following the tax due date, assuming the maximum rate of interest. Answer 4. If the state finds that the town is underappraised and that the common level of appraisal is 75%, what is the town's adjusted fair market value of its grand list (i.e., what value would the town grand list have if it were listed at fair market value)? Answer 5. If the town does not commit itself to reappraisal this year, and
has not been reappraised for twenty years, how much will it pay in penalties in state aid,
if it would have received $100,000 in 1992? (See 16 V.S.A. Section 3475)
Planning and Zoning 6. If a landowner submits an application for a zoning permit to the zoning adminstrator on June 1, and the adminstrator fails to approve or disapprove it, when is the permit issued by default? Answer 7. If a landowner disagrees with the decision of a zoning administrtor to disapprove a zoning permit, to which body would the landowner appeal? Answer 8. If a citizen wanted to propose a change in a zoning bylaw, to which body would the change be submitted? Answer 9. At what point in the process of adopting a bylaw amendment is it effective in regulating development? Answer 10. The bylaws don't allow a landowner to build a structure closer than fifty feet from the road, but the land doesn't allow him any alternative but to invade that setback distance by ten feet. What could the landowner do? Answer
Town Meeting 11. To suspend the rules of town meeting, how many votes are needed? Answer 12. How many amendments may be offered at the same time at town meeting? Answer 13. How many voters does it take to request a paper ballot vote at town meeting? Answer 14. How many votes are required to elect a town clerk in a town that elects its officers on the floor at town meeting? Answer 15. Can you vote a special tax under the article entitled, "Other business"? Answer Open Meetings 17. Can a member of the public speak at a public meeting of a board? Answer 18. May a board enter executive session to review the resumes of candidates for a public office? Answer 19. How long must notice of a special meeting of the board of selectmen be posted in advance of the meeting? Answer 20. May less than a quorum of board members meet and discuss public business without calling a public meeting? Answer Tax Appeals 21. How many members of a board of civil authority must visit the subject property on a site visit? Answer 22. From the date of their appointment, how long do the members of the site inspection committee have to visit the property and report back to the board of civil authority? Answer 23. Following the report of the inspectin committee, how long does the board of civil authority have to make its decision? Answer 24. Before taxpayers are entitled to appeal their tax assessments to the board of civil authority, what must they do first? Answer 25. How long after the board of civil authority makes its decision in a tax appeal does the appellant/taxpayer have to appeal to a higher body? Answer Highways 26. If the size of a right of way is unknown, what is its legla width? Answer 27. How much maintenance is required of the town of a class 4 highway? Answer 28. Do all class 3 highways have to be plowed in the winter? Answer 29. Can selectmen lock the gates on a pent road? Answer 30. How many voters or freeholders are needed to petition the board of selectmen to discontinue a town highway? Answer Australian Ballot System 31. What is the deadline for applying for an absentee ballot? Answer 32. What should happen to a ballot that is signed by the voter? Answer 33. For how many days after an election may a voter contest the election? Answer 34. Is writing-in the name of a candidate enough or do you also need to make an "X" in the box next to the name? Answer 35. How far from the polling place must a candidate stand on election day? Answer Voter Registration 36. What is the deadline for registering to vote for any election? Answer 37. Which body in town is responsible for adding and removing names from the checklist? Answer 38. How long must a voter reside in a Vermont town to qualify to register to vote? Answer 39. What are the four qualifications to vote in Vermont? Answer 40. Is voter status a prerequisite for local office in Vermont? Answer Checklists 41. How many days in advance of an election must a checklist be posted? Answer 42. How often must towns purge their checklists of persons no longer entitled to vote? Answer 43. How much can a town clerk charge for a copy of the checklist? Answer 44. How long must a town keep a checklist following an election? Answer 45. What happens to a checklist directly after the polls close at 7:00 pm? Answer Town Clerk 46. How many days does a clerk have to complete the minutes of town meeting? Answer 47. When must a town clerk disclose the amount of fees collected? Answer 48. Does the clerk have the powers of a notary public? Answer 49. What is the charge for a certified copy of a deed? Answer 50. May a clerk correct a public record created in error by a predecessor clerk? Answer Dogs 51. What is the deadline for licensing dogs? Answer 52. How often must a dog over the age of 2 years be vaccinated? Answer 53. When may a dog be legally killed? Answer 54. If a dog worries a sheep, who assesses the damage? Answer 55. What is the penalty for a late licensing of a dog? Answer Grand List 56. Wo prepares the grand list? Answer 57. According to law, property is set in the grand list at what percent of fair market value? Answer 58. With which officer is the grand list "lodged" when it is complete? Answer 59. After it is lodged, how can changes be made in the grand list? Answer 60. If the grand list of a taxpayer is changed, what must be sent to the taxpayer? Answer Schools 61. Who decides how the school budget is spent? Answer 62. Who collects the taxes to pay for the school budget? Answer 63. Who warns a school district meeting? Answer 64. How many days in advance of adopting a new school policy must it be warned? Answer 65. When does the school fiscal year begin? Answer Notice and Deadlines 66. How many days in advance of a public hearing on a proposed zoning bylaw must it be warned? Answer 67. How many days in advance of town meeting must petitions be submitted to the town clerk to have their articles added to the warning? Answer 68. What is the deadline for nominating petitions for town office (in a town using the Australian Ballot)? Answer 69. How long in advance of a town meeting must the warning be posted? Answer 70. How many days before the annual town meeting must the town report be mailed or otherwise delivered to the voters? Answer Public Records 71. Are the salaries of town officials public information? Answer 72. If the custodian of a public record considers it exempt form public access, how long does the law allow him/her to state his/her reasons in writing? Answer 73. To which court would a citizen appeal for relief from a denial of access to public records? Answer 74. How much per hour may a town clerk charge for use of public records? Answer 75. At waht cost are copies of minutes of selectmen's meetings made available to the public? Answer The Vermont Constitution -- Chapter I 76. What is the name of Chapter I of the Vermont Constitution? Answer 77. Does the Vermont Constitution include an Equal Rights Amendment? Answer 78. When private property is taken for public uses in Vermont, what is the government's responsibility? Answer 79. What are the rights of freemen in elections? Answer 80. Prior to the adoption of any law to raise a tax, what must appear evident to the legislature? Answer The Vermont Constitution -- Chapter II 81. In what chamber of the legislature must all revenue bills originate? Answer 82. When the General Assembly is in session, how long does the governor have to sign a bill into law or return it to the legislature before it becomes law on its own? Answer 83. How many members do the House of Representatives and the Senate have? Answer 84. How long must a freeman reside in the state in order to qualify to run for governor? Answer 85. Which officer serves as president of the Vermont Senate? Answer Supreme Court 86. How many members server on the Supreme Court? Answer 87. How are they chosen and what is their term of office? Answer 88. At what age must justices of the Supreme Court retire? Answer 89. What body has the power to suspend justices of the Supreme Court? Answer 90. How is the Chief Justice selected? Answer Counties 91. Which officials are responsible for the care and superintendence of county property? Answer 92. Which county officer has the authority to arrest a sheriff? Answer 93. Name the only county officials elected at the town level. Answer 94. Who votes in the county tax? Answer 95. What is the term and duty of the state's attorney? Must he/she be a lawyer? Answer State Taxes 96. What date are state income tax returns due? Answer 97. How are state income taxes calculated? Answer 98. What is the minimum corporation income tax? Answer 99. What is the rate of the present state sales tax? Answer 100. What is the rate of the present state meals and rooms tax? Answer History 101. What year did Vermont adopt is first Constitution? Answer 102. What did Vermont formally become one of the United States? Answer 103. Who was Vermont's first Governor? Answer 104. When did Montpelier first serve as the state capital? Answer 105. How many state houses has Vermont had (in Montpelier)? Answer Dates 106. When is town meeting in most towns? Answer 107. When is the state primary? Answer 108. When is the general election? Answer 109. When does the legislature convene at the beginning of its biennial session? Answer 110. When and what is Bennington Battle Day? Answer Emblems 111. Name at least four of the following: state bird, butterfly, animal, beverage, tree, flower, insect, soil, rock, cold water and warm water fish, and song. Answer 112. What appears on the state flag? Answer 113. What is the state motto? Answer 114. Which officer is responsible for keeping the state seal? Answer 115. Who is state poet of Vermont? Answer Geography 116. Why are Vermont hillsides often filled with boulders? Answer 117. Why have whale bones been found in Vermont? Answer 118. Name the fourteen counties. Answer 119. Name the fifteen shire towns. Answer 120. Name the largest city and smallest (organized) town as measured by population? Answer Water 121. What is the longest river within the borders of Vermont? Answer 122. What was the date of the most disastrous flood in Vermont's history? Answer 123. Name two Vermont rivers that bisect the Green Mountain range? Answer 124. Which direction does Lake Champlain flow -- north or south? Answer 125. What is the eastern border of Vermont? Answer Mountains 126. What is the highest point of land in Vermont? Answer 127. What rock are the Green Mountains made of? Answer 128. The Taconic Mountains of southwestern Vermont are noted for the production of a rock. Name it. Answer 129. What does the word "Vermont" mean? Answer 130. About how much of Vermont is forested? Answer Act 250 131. How many criteria are there in Act 250? Name three. Answer 132. To which body are the decisions of District Environmental Commissions appealable? Answer 133. In a town with permanent planning and zoning, what size acreage of a development triggers Act 250 review? Answer 134. Is aesthetics alone capable of denying a permit to a developer? Answer 135. Development is prohibited above what minimum altitude by Act 250? Answer Fish and Wildlife 136. What is opening day of trout season in Vermont? Answer 137. What is opening day of the regular hunting season? Answer 138. Setting limits and rules on hunting and fishing is the responsibility of which board? Answer 139. Are leg-hold traps legal in Vermont? Answer 140. When is it legal to hunt deer on your own land? Answer Crime and Punishment 141. What separates a felony from a misdemeanor? Answer 142. When is gambling legal in Vermont? Answer 143. Does Vermont have a death penalty? Answer 144. When may bail be denied to a person accused of a crime? Answer 145. What are the consequences of refusing to take a breath test after being stopped for suspected DUI? Answer Marriage and Divorce 146. What period of time must spouses live apart to justify a divorce on those grounds? Answer 147. May first cousins marry each other in Vermont? Answer 148. Is common law marriage recognized in Vermont? Answer 149. How long after the issuance of a marriage license must parties wait until a ceremony is performed? Answer 150. Which public official issues marriage licenses? Answer Minors 151. Persons above what age are entitled to work full time without permission of the state? Answer 152. At what age may a person marry without his or her parent's consent? Answer 153. Under what circumstances may a minor be adjudicated as an adult offender? Answer 154. What is the drinking age in Vermont? Answer 155. Above what age must a person be licensed to fish? Answer Business Regulation 156. When must a business or trade name be registered with the secretary of state? Answer 157. What is the minimum number of employees that triggers the laws on unemployment compensation? Answer 158. What is the minimum number of weeks of maternity leave a female employee is entitled to under the law during pregnancy and following the birth of her child? Answer 159. Is it legal to require all employees of a business to undergo drug testing? Answer 160. What is the minimum wage? Answer Deeds 161. How many witnesses are needed on a deed? Answer 162. What date is used for proration of taxes before a closing if no other date is specified by negotiation of the parties? Answer 163. Where are deeds recorded? Answer 164. May a deed be changed after recording by making a correction to the public record? Answer 165. How much is the property ttransfer tax? Answer Wills and Descent 166. How many witnesses are needed on a will? Answer 167. Where are wills proved and allowed? Answer 168. What are homestead rights of a surviving spouse? Answer 169. What happens to property of a person who dies without heirs or without persons entitled to his or her estate? Answer 170. What is a durable power of attorney? Answer Motor Vehicles 171. When a moter vehicle is involved in an accident, under what circumstances is its operator required to report the accident? Answer 172. What percentage of alcohol in the blood of a driver constitutes drunk driving in Vermont? Answer 173. How many points are assessed for driving not more than ten miles an hour in excess of the speed limit? Answer 174. Is a front license plate required in Vermont? Answer 175. What is the cost of an operator's license and how long is the period of licensure? Answer Time 176. What is the statute of limitations for most civil actions? Answer 177. How many years of open, notorious, hostile and continuous possession of land is enough to justify a claim of adverse possession? Answer 178. How many days after a compliant is seved on you do you have to file an answer in court? Answer 179. How many days after receiving a judgment in superior court do you have to appeal to the surpeme court? Answer 180. How long after a person is missing may he/she be declared legally dead? Answer Thresholds 181. What is the threshold for registration and disclosure as a lobbyist, in terms of expenditure? Answer 182. What is the threshold for disclosure as a political committee for campaign finance purposes, in terms of money? Answer 183. How many votes must a write-in candidate for local office receive, in town using the Asutralian ballot, to be elected? Answer 184. How does a political party qualify as a major party? Answer 185. How many signatures are required on a petition to call a special town meeting or to add an article to the annual meeting warning? Answer Numbers 186. Within 10,000, what was the 1990 population of Vermont? Answer 187. Within $10,000,000, what is the current state budget? Answer 188. Within 100, how many miles of interstate highway does Vermont have (excluding ramps)? Answer 189. How many towns and cities are there in Vermont? Answer 190. How many miles of seacoast does Vermont have? Answer People 191. Give the names of Vermont's congressional delegation and their offices. Answer 192. Name the governor, lieutenant governor, state treasurer, secretary of state, auditor of accounts and attorney general. Answer 193. Name the last six governors. Answer 194. Name the speaker of the house, the president pro tem of the Vermont senate, and the sergeant -at-arms. Answer 195. Name your state representative(s) and state senator(s). Answer Miscellany 196. What is the maximum non-usurious interest rate on a credit card under Vermont law? Answer 197. How long do a delinquent taxpayers have to redeem their homes following a tax sale? Answer 198. What is the minimum number of days schools must be open in a school year? Answer 199. What state body regulates electric rates? Answer 200. If the Vermont economy is a three-legged stool, name each of the legs. Answer
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