The Town is operated by an elected three member Selectboard. The Selectboard meets on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month at 6:00 P.M. at the Town Office Complex. If you would like to be on the agenda call the office at 479-2673 by Friday before the meeting.
Selectboard agendas and minutes can be found here »
Selectboard officers:
Steve Simpson, Chair – (802) 345-8761 – ssimpson@orangevt.org
Term expires 2027
Kevin Wilson, Member – (802) 486-0429–kwilson@orangevt.org
Term expires 2026
Wayne Symonds, Member – (802) 477-3611-wsymonds@orangevt.org
Term expires 2025
Duties and responsibilities:
The Selectboard is at the center of Vermont’s local government. It is the body that has general supervision and control over the affairs of the town. The Vermont Secretary of State’s website describes the role of the Selectboard as follows: General supervision and control over town; enacts ordinances, regulations, and policies for town; oversees town property and personnel; prepares, presents and manages budget; and oversees roads, including laying out, discontinuing, and reclassifying roads.
A major public misconception is to believe that the Selectboard has total and absolute authority over all personnel employed by the town. In Orange, some of the major officers are elected officials. Each office is autonomous and officers answer to the voters and only the voters. The Selectboard can advise the officers but cannot order them to do anything. The rest of the employees are appointed. The 4 town employees are all appointed.
The Select Board sets a budget for the coming year and that budget is presented to the voters who may accept, amend, or reject it at Town Meeting. The tax rate (just the municipal rate), another item people like to complain to the Select Board about, is set based on voted expenditures and the size of the Grand List. The Select Board spends much time carefully watching the expenditures to be sure the money is, indeed, being spent in a way that will benefit the town.