WHITING — Tuesday evening Addison County’s annual town meetings wrapped up with the confab in Whiting. One of the county’s smaller towns had a quiet meeting befitting its size. After the excitement last year of deciding whether to build a new town shed and fix the fire station (voters said yes), residents faced one big question at the evening town meeting: who would replace selectboard member Tara Trudo, who was stepping down for family commitments?
It turned out that Marcia King, a respected town auditor, was nominated from the floor to fill the three-year seat on the Whiting selectboard. She agreed to stand for the office and was elected on a voice vote. She has to resign from her auditor position in order to serve on the selectboard. Selectman Steve Quenneville said the selectboard would now have to find someone to replace King in that job.
He said participants in the meeting considered whether to change the road commissioner’s position from a one-year term to a three-year term; it passed. Then residents re-elected Paul Quesnel as their road commissioner.
Other than that, Quenneville said it was a quiet meeting, with all questions passing by voice vote.
Voters approved appropriations of $369,677.50, of which $277,522.65 will come from taxes, for town expenses. That represents an increase of $30,685, or 8.3 percent, in spending, and an increase in $33,834, or 13.9 percent, in the amount needed in taxes.
Incumbent officers re-elected included:
•  Lister for three years, Elizabeth Curran;
•  Auditor for three years, Alison Remy;
•  Collector of delinquent taxes for one year, Rani Fallon;
•  Library trustee for three years, Heather Mattison; library trustee for two years, Jaime Quenneville; library trustee for two years Tara Trudo;
•  First Constable for one year, Michael Dame;
•  Town Agent for one year, Heather Bouchard.
Earlier in the day, voters participated in supporting the Otter Valley Unified Union School District budget by a district wide vote of 707-622; and defeated a $2.93 million school bond vote, 759-597.