Opinion ID: 2671306
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Count 1—Violation of Chapter I, Article 8

Text: ¶ 59. In count 1, plaintiff alleged that the Town had applied 24 V.S.A. § 832, the section allowing the selectboard to raise her bond, in a manner that violated Chapter I, Article 8 of the Vermont Constitution. Article 8 provides that “all voters . . . have a right to . . . be elected into office, agreeably to the regulations made in this constitution.” Vt. Const. ch. I, art. 8. Plaintiff asserted that by improperly raising her bond and then removing her from office, the selectboard unlawfully invalidated the Town vote, which elected plaintiff as treasurer. The court considered this claim on the merits and concluded that Article 8 “does not create a right to retain the office in derogation of a lawful direction to obtain an increased bond.” Thus, the court held that the Town’s decision to require an increased bond under § 832 did not amount to a constitutional violation. ¶ 60. On appeal, plaintiff does not present any argument related to this claim. Although plaintiff argues that the court erred in granting summary judgment on procedural grounds, the court’s decision on this count was not based on procedural considerations, but on the substance of plaintiff’s claim. Absent some argument about why the court’s decision was error, appellant has waived consideration of this issue on appeal. See State v. Brillon , 2010 VT 25, ¶ 5, 187 Vt. 444, 995 A.2d 557 (declining to consider state constitutional claim where it was insufficiently raised and briefed); State v. Taylor , 145 Vt. 437, 439, 491 A.2d 1034, 1035 (1985) (concluding appellant failed to adequately raise issue where brief contained “no specific grounds for the claim” and explaining that this Court’s role is not “to foretell, through the art of divination, those issues which the parties deem appropriate for resolution”).