VERGENNES — In uncontested races, Vergennes residents chose Jeff Fritz as their new mayor, brought former Mayor Bill Benton back to the city council, and returned a half-dozen incumbents to office.
Fritz, the deputy mayor for the past 13 months, ascended to the head of the city council. He replaces Renny Perry, the former Vergennes City Manager who opted to step down after 13 months in office, and also after a number of years on the city council.
Returned to the council in 23 percent turnout were Vergennes Aldermen Mark Koenig and Lowell Bertrand, incumbent Aldermen David Austin and David Small, who were appointed to council vacancies in 2018 and received voter approval to finish second years of terms; and Benton who filed for the council seat Fritz vacated to run for mayor.
Incumbent Addison Northwest School District board member John Stroup and newcomer Keith Morrill ran unopposed and won two of the four city seats on the 12-member ANWSD board.
All nonprofits’ financial requests were also approved. The Vergennes City Council will craft the city’s 2019-2020 budget in June.
Residents in Vergennes and the other four Addison Northwest School District communities on Town Meeting Day also voted, 672-665, in commingled balloting in favor of a 2019-2020 budget of $22,139,341 to fund the four ANWSD schools and the district’s share of Hannaford Career Center spending. 
After a year of level district spending, that proposed budget will increase spending by about $1.03 million, or 4.89 percent.
They also voted in favor of putting funds from an earlier surplus in a capital reserve fund and other articles simplifying ANWSD operating procedures.