Michael Smith resignation leaves Montpelier council without a quorum

From the Montpelier Common Council meeting on 2026-09-15

Montpelier's Common Council could not take votes Tuesday after Brad Neff said council member Michael Smith had resigned and two other members were absent.

Neff said Smith stepped down after becoming a reserve police officer and learning he could not continue serving on the council while holding that role. Neff said the city was working on possible replacements to serve the rest of Smith's term.

The attendance problem grew when Gary Coble was sick and John D. Morgan reported a family emergency just before the meeting. Without a quorum, the council could discuss business but could not act on it.

That left several policy and finance items in discussion-only status. The meeting made clear the city now faces both a vacancy to fill and a short-term scheduling problem if it wants to move delayed business before the next regular session.

Source: Meeting transcript — Montpelier Common Council Meeting September 15, 2026

Some information may be inaccurate due to video audio quality.