Here’s your town-by-town recap of Town Meeting 2023 action in Addison County (plus Brandon):

ADDISON

Addison voters in Tuesday Australian balloting decided a contested race for the Tri-Town Water District; approved all proposed town spending measures, including an investment in the town’s website; and returned a couple incumbents to office. 

In the only contested race, incumbent Tri-Town Water District Commissioner Steve Kayhart turned back challenger Geoffrey Grant, 159-79, for a three-year term.

Returning to office without opposition were longtime Selectboard Member Rob Hunt and Addison Northwest School Board Member Amy Kittredge, both for another three years. 

The selectboard’s request for $649,533.70 for non-road spending, an amount up by about $60,000 from a year ago, won residents’ backing by 191-66. 

Residents approved by a 202-56 margin a smaller increase of about $17,000 in road spending to $911,054. 

They also supported spending $5,000 for professional maintenance of the town’s website (addisonvt.net), by a vote of 186-67.

All 18 nonprofit requests were also backed in individual votes. Most notable among the requests were $10,000 from the Town Line First Response Squad and $30,162 from the Bixby Library. 

Addison in commingled balloting also joined residents in Panton, Ferrisburgh, Vergennes and Waltham in backing a roughly 13% increase in ANWSD spending to roughly $25.3 million. The budget preserves existing programs and adds a couple jobs, notably a middle school principal and a new Vergennes Union Elementary School administrator.

Officials said higher costs for salaries, health insurance, energy, transportation, property and liability insurance, and the Hannaford Career Center budget are major factors driving spending up. 

Because of increased state funding for education, that higher spending will require only a 1.56-cent increase to the district tax rate to support it.

But due to higher property values, ANWSD communities have seen their Common Levels of Appraisals (CLAs) plummet by between roughly 5 and 12%, and because of those lower CLAs towns’ tax rates are expected to rise substantially.

In Addison it means an increase of about 23.6 cents in the residential school tax rate to an estimated $1.8549 per $100 of assessed value, according to ANWSD estimates. Those estimates are based on current information. About two-thirds of homeowners pay school taxes based on their incomes and are not likely to feel the full impact of the increase. 

BRANDON

In one of the few contested selectboard races in the area on Town Meeting Day, two Brandon incumbents retained their seats while a relative newcomer managed to win a seat occupied by someone appointed after a resignation. 

Incumbent Brian Coolidge fended off a challenge from Marielle Blais to retain his seat for another three-year term, 673 to 364. Incumbent and Board Chair Seth Hopkins kept his seat for another one-year term, with 716 votes. Both men have been on the selectboard for many years. The newcomer to the board is Cecil Reniche-Smith, who is also a relative newcomer to Brandon itself, having moved here only a few years ago. She took Ralph Ethier’s seat with 555 votes to his 456. 

Ethier was appointed to his seat by the selectboard in controversial proceedings after the resignation of Michael Markowski last year. Blais and Reniche-Smith had also applied for that vacancy.

Reniche-Smith said she was “humbled and honored to have earned the trust and confidence of Brandon voters.”

The composition of the selectboard may soon change again, however, since Hopkins has applied to be Brandon town manager, a post recently vacated by David Atherton, who now holds the same position in Pittsford. If Hopkins gets the job, he will vacate his selectboard seat. A new town manager won’t be hired before April.

Other winners at Brandon’s polls:

• Bill Moore earned a year as Town Moderator.

• Sue Gage won re-election as Town Clerk and Town Treasurer.

• Tanner Romano won re-election to a three-year term as a Trustee of Public Funds.

• Jeff Haylon got the nod as a Brandon library trustee.

Voters also approved, 724-372, a town budget of $3,346,150, of which $2,737,260 will be raised by property taxes and the remainder by non-tax revenues.  

All appropriations on the ballot were approved, including $25,000 for the American Legion, $82,580 for the Brandon Area Rescue Squad, $92,000 for the Brandon Free Public Library, and $13,500 for the Brandon Senior Center.

Also on that Tuesday, Brandon residents voted on a proposed Otter Valley Unified Union School District spending plan of $24,174,395, which will result in education spending of $18,629 per equalized pupil — 9.27% higher than spending for the current year. Across the six towns in the district — Brandon, Goshen, Leicester, Pittsford, Whiting and Sudbury — residents voted 755 in favor, 701 opposed.

Winning seats on the OVUUS school board where Kevin Thornton in Brandon, Fernanda Canales in Goshen, Brett Mullins in Pittsford and two at-large candidates, Brent Scarborough and Paul Lathrop. An open seat in Leicester did not earn enough write-in votes (10) to gain a winning candidate.

There are 2,830 registered voters in Brandon. 1,117 voters submitted a ballot, either at the polls or by absentee ballot. A total of 825 absentee ballots were returned.

BRIDPORT

Bridport residents on Town Meeting Day helped re-elect Suzanne Buck to another three-year term on the Addison Central School District board, and passed all the financial requests at their annual meeting.

Buck defeated Hildie Stone, 1,207-816, in the race for Bridport’s lone ACSD board seat. 

In all, five seats were up for grabs on the ACSD board, and all candidates were elected at-large by voters in the district-member towns of Bridport, Cornwall, Middlebury, Ripton, Salisbury, Shoreham and Weybridge.

In other ACSD board races on Tuesday:

• Ellen Whelan-Wuest was picked to serve the final year of a term recently vacated by former Cornwall ACSD rep. Peter Conlon. Whelan-Wuest was the top vote-getter with 1,143 tallies. Chris Kramer, with 589 votes, and Jeffrey Taylor, with 392 tallies, finished out of the running.

• Tricia Allen and Jason Chance earned voter approval to fill two seats representing Middlebury on the 13-member panel, succeeding incumbents Mary Gill and Victoria Jette, both of whom chose not to seek re-election. Allen topped the field with 1,288 tallies, and Chance made the cut with 1,108. Middlebury candidates Ron Makleff (650) and Laura Harthman (521 votes) finished out of the running.

• Ellie Romp was unchallenged for Salisbury’s lone seat on the ACSD board. Romp succeeds incumbent Jennifer Nuceder, who chose not to seek re-election.

There were no contested municipal elections in Bridport this year. Tim Howlett and Drexel Wheeler ran unopposed for terms of three and two years, respectively, on the town selectboard.

Bridport residents helped pass, by an 1889 to 465 margin, a fiscal year 2024 ACSD budget of $42,269,305, which represents a 7.2% increase in education spending and an 8.1% hike in the cost per equalized pupil. The budget is expected to create a new education property tax rate of $1.77 per $100 of property value in Bridport — representing an increase of 6 cents compared to this year.

Residents at their annual gathering on Tuesday passed, by voice vote, all items on the warning, including:

• A fiscal year 2024 highway budget of $1,204,843, which is around $105,000 more than this year’s spending plan.

• And FY24 general fund request of $342,043, around $20,000 more than this year’s $322,380 spending plan.

• A series of 27 separate financial requests, totaling $65,158, from various nonprofits (and the local fire department) that serve Bridport citizens.

BRISTOL

On Town Meeting Day, Bristol selectboard incumbents John “Peeker” Heffernan (two-year-term) and Michelle Perlee (three-year-term) won re-election. Both ran unopposed. 

In other uncontested races for town offices, Bruce Nason won another one-year-term as first constable and Jennifer Wagner won another one-year-term as town moderator. 

Krista Siringo won another one-year-term on the Mount Abraham Unified School District Board. A race for one of Bristol’s other MAUSD board seats, formerly held by Kris Pearsall, drew no candidates and no residents received enough votes to win a successful write-in campaign. The Bristol selectboard will now work with the MAUSD board to appoint someone to the seat for a one-year-term. 

Bristol voters on Town Meeting Day also approved the MAUSD’s withdrawal agreement with the Lincoln School District, 261-163. The withdrawal agreement was also OK’d in the MAUSD’s three other member towns. 

Residents that live in the Bristol Police District (primarily the village) voted 191-72 in favor of a $599,348 law enforcement budget for the coming year. That’s an increase of $94,769, or 18.8%, with $456,181 to be raised by taxes.

Bristol voters, along with other voters in the MAUSD, also approved a $33,868,900 spending plan for the 2023-2024 school year, 812-460, with all ballots commingled. The proposed plan reflects $22,914.77 in spending per equalized pupil, an increase of $3,088.40, or 15.52%. 

District voters also agreed to authorize the school board to transfer up to $1.7 million from the Capital Reserve Fund to the district’s general fund to cover expenses related to the ongoing lobby and bathroom renovations at Mount Abraham Union High School, 907-358. 

About 75 residents showed up at Town Meeting and voted from the floor to approve: 

• $1,113,885 in General Fund spending, an increase of $156,460, or 16.3%, with $923,306 to be raised in taxes.

• $894,658 in Public Works/Highway spending, an increase of $63,888, or 7.7%, with $744,486 to be raised in taxes.

• $349,269 for the Arts, Parks, and Recreation Department budget, up $28,723, or around 9%, with $250,469 to be raised in taxes.

• $146,381 for 30 appropriations to nonprofit organizations, a 6.4% increase.

CORNWALL

Cornwall residents on Tuesday helped decide a three-way race for Cornwall’s lone seat on the Addison Central School District board and passed all of the financial requests on their 2023 town meeting warning.

ACSD voters elected Ellen Whelan-Wuest to serve the final year on the term recently vacated by former Cornwall ACSD Rep. Peter Conlon. Whelan-Wuest was the top vote-getter in at-large voting in the seven-town district, garnering 1,143 tallies. Chris Kramer, with 589 votes, and Jeffrey Taylor, with 392 tallies, finished out of the running.

In all, five seats were up for grabs on the ACSD board, and all candidates were elected at-large by voters in the district-member towns of Bridport, Cornwall, Middlebury, Ripton, Salisbury, Shoreham and Weybridge.

In other ACSD board races on Tuesday:

• Tricia Allen and Jason Chance earned voter approval to fill two seats representing Middlebury on the 13-member panel, succeeding incumbents Mary Gill and Victoria Jette, both of whom chose not to seek re-election. Allen topped the field with 1,288 tallies, and Chance made the cut with 1,108. Middlebury candidates Ron Makleff (650) and Laura Harthman (521 votes) finished out of the running.

• Suzanne Buck was sent to serve another three-year term on the board representing Bridport. She defeated challenger Hildie Stone, 1,207-816, for that seat. 

• Ellie Romp was unchallenged for Salisbury’s lone seat on the ACSD board. Romp succeeds incumbent Jennifer Nuceder, who chose not to seek re-election.

There were no other contested elections on the Cornwall ballot. Incumbent selectboard members Brian Kemp and Tanya Byker had no challengers for terms of three years and two years, respectively.

Cornwall Town Clerk Sue Johnson reported all articles on the community’s Saturday, March 4, town meeting warning passed by resounding voice votes. Winning voter approval were:

• A proposed 2023-2024 general fund request of $535,400, up from this year’s spending plan of $505,072, or 6%.

• An FY’24 highway fund request of $535,150, up from this year’s ask of $476,100, or 11%.

• $67,950 to support their local fire department.

• $4,000 for the Cornwall Free Public Library.

• $34,445 to support a variety of Addison County nonprofits that serve Cornwall residents.

Cornwall residents helped pass, by an 1,889 to 465 margin, a fiscal year 2024 ACSD budget of $42,269,305, which represents a 7.2% increase in education spending and an 8.1% hike in the cost per equalized pupil. The budget is expected to create a new education property tax rate of $1.63 per $100 of property value in Cornwall — representing a decrease of 9 cents compared to this year.

GOSHEN

Interest in civic participation was high in Goshen this week as both Monday’s town meeting and Tuesday’s Australian ballot voting saw many citizens taking part.

Monday evening’s meeting drew 59 citizens and several visitors. Assistant Town Clerk Marci Hayes said people seemed to appreciate having a large video monitor at the front of the room showing the wording of each article as it was discussed. They also appreciated the cookies, cannoli, sandwich wraps and drinks provided on a table festooned with an attractive red tablecloth and flags.

During the two-and-a-half-hour meeting, there was a lot of talk on Monday about civility, which seemed important after two selectboard members resigned during the past year, citing uncivil behavior as the reason.

One of the longer discussions Monday was about  the security camera in the town office. The selectboard had removed the camera because a private contractor had access to the video and board member Thomasina Magoon said that private individual could potentially delete incriminating evidence. Two citizens said there was precedence for illegal activity in the office and there was a need for a security camera. Board member Bill Mathis has said the board is working to get a security camera back in the office. 

When it came time to discuss whether the town would offer garbage, recycling and food-waste collection, Jeff Cathcart noted Goshen is the only town in Vermont that has curbside pickup that is financed by taxpayers. Curbside pickup will be a one-year contract that is up for renewal annually. The town voted in favor of maintaining curbside pickup, paid for by taxes. 

Voters at the meeting agreed to appropriate $4,000 to fund town hall renovations. Then they added $4K to the warned amount for general expenses and approved a town budget of $248,163.

There was little discussion on the proposed $176,500 road budget, and it passed by voice vote.

Turnout for Tuesday’s ballot voting was the highest it’s been in 15 years, Town Clerk Rosemary McKinnon said. There were 119 ballots cast out of 165 registered voters. The closest race was for a selectboard seat, with incumbent Tammy Walsh earning 65 votes to 53 for Marci Hayes. Also on the ballot, Hayes earned 71 votes for constable, while Shawn Martin got 36 write-ins.  In the other selectboard race, incumbent Bill Mathis defeated former selectman David McKinnon, 72-45. Nadine Reed won a spot as an auditor and she has a spot on the cemetery commission, but she’ll have to give up one of those, because the rules say one person can’t do both.

Also on that Tuesday, Goshen residents joined folks in Brandon, Leicester, Pittsford, Whiting and Sudbury in approving the proposed Otter Valley Unified Union School District spending plan of $24,174,395, which passed 755-701. Winning seats on the OVUUS school board where Fernanda Canales in Goshen, Kevin Thornton in Brandon, Brett Mullins in Pittsford and two at-large candidates, Brent Scarborough and Paul Lathrop. An open seat in Leicester did n’t earn enough write-in votes (10) to gain a winning candidate.

Editor’s note: Will Ross of the Brandon Reporter contributed to this report.

FERRISBURGH

Ferrisburgh voters didn’t decide any contested races for office on March 7, but have a new member of the selectboard to replace Chair Jessica James, who stepped down after five years of service.

Town planner and lister Walter Reed ran unopposed for a two-year term to replace James; he will step down as a lister. Multi-term selectboard incumbent Jim Benoit was also on the ballot and earned another three years. 

Also running unopposed and returning to office were two incumbent Addison Northwest School District (ANWSD) board members.: Erica Andrus a one-year term, and Chris Kayhart, the current board vice-chair, to a three-year term. 

At town meeting on Saturday, March 4, at Ferrisburgh Central School, residents made a number of decisions by voice vote.

They supported the selectboard’s proposed $2,455,992 of town spending for the 2023-2024 Fiscal Year. Including $37,494 of nonprofit donations also backed by voters, town spending is projected to increase by around $90,000, or 3.8%.

Among budget drivers are higher costs for the highway department, liability insurance, the town’s share of Vergennes Fire Department spending, and a $20,000 “personnel contingency” that could be used if the town needs to increase the hours and benefits to find a new treasurer to replace retiring Deb Healey. 

Town Clerk and Assistant Treasurer Pam Cousino estimated with an offset from anticipated growth in the town’s grand list, the higher spending could add about 1.5 cents to municipal portion of the town’s tax rate, raising it to roughly 36 cents. 

Voters also said “aye” to the selectboard’s request to purchase a grader for $324,000, but that expense won’t affect the tax rate this year. The board plans to use $200,000 of the town’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding and $15,000 from the town highway department’s truck fund toward that purchase, leaving taxpayers to foot the $110,000 balance, with payments starting in the next fiscal year.

Ferrisburgh joined Addison, Panton, Vergennes and Waltham residents in supporting an ANWSD spending plan that called for a roughly 13% spending increase of about $3 million, to about $25.3 million. It preserves existing programs and adds a couple of jobs, notably a middle school principal. 

Officials said higher costs for salaries, health insurance, energy, transportation, property and liability insurance, and the Hannaford Career Center budget are major factors driving the increase. 

Because of increased state funding for education, that higher spending will require only a 1.56-cent increase to the district tax rate to support it.

But due to higher property values, the five ANWSD communities have seen their Common Levels of Appraisals (CLAs) plummet by roughly 5-12%, and those lower CLAs are expected to drive school tax rates higher.

In Ferrisburgh it means an increase of about 17 cents in the residential school tax rate, from about $1.5963 to roughly $1.77, according to ANWSD estimates. Those estimates are based on current information. The roughly two-thirds of homeowners who pay property taxes based on their incomes will not feel the full impact of the increase.

GRANVILLE

Democracy was alive at the Granville town meeting Tuesday evening. Residents, who vote for everything at the annual gathering rather than by Australian ballot, saw a contested election for a thee-year term on the selectboard to replace Jennifer Stickney, who chose not to run. Danial Sargeant and Kenneth Beattie were both nominated, and a paper ballot was taken. Beattie got 24 votes and won over Sargeant’s 18.

The rest of the meeting was less surprising.

The town budget, which was warned at $388,304 (almost 3% higher than last year), was approved.

Also approved as warned were: 

• Transferring the highway surplus to Highway Capital Investment Fund.

• Increasing the Highway Capital Investment Fund by $6,000 for road paving.

• Increasing the Municipal Building Investment Fund by $5,000 for painting.

• Appropriating $500 to the Corner School Resource Center.

Other town officers elected were:

• Moderator: Roger Stauss.

• Second Auditor: Kellie Eckroth.

• Second Constable: Jeffrey Lumbra.

• Delinquent Tax Collector: Nancy Needham.

• Second Cemetery Commissioner: Scott Sargeant.

HANCOCK

Voters in Hancock could have used a $90,326 windfall of sorts to give themselves a tax break at Tuesday morning’s town meeting, but they decided instead to spend the money to pay off an outstanding loan that had funded the fire department.

Here’s how it came about. Hancock discovered in the past year that it had $90,326 in a money market account that was unspoken for. The money market was set up in the mid-1990s to accept state funds and grants, and over the years some of that money was transferred to other town accounts but not properly recorded. 

After making sure that none of the money was owed to outside contractors, the auditor suggested moving it to the General Fund, which the selectboard put on the town meeting warning asking citizens if they would move that $90,326 to the General Fund for the purpose of lowering taxes.

When the article came up in the town hall meeting, residents started brainstorming other ways they could use the money instead of to lower taxes for one year.

Richard Andrews suggested that the town could need the money for a reappraisal. Jeannette Bair wondered about energy efficiency measures the town could implement. Jim Leno steps aside from his role as moderator to speak as voter and address suggestions to use the money for energy-efficiency alternatives or paying down loans incurred to pay for Tropical Storm Irene recovery and for building a new fire station; he said it would make this money a long-term benefit, not just a one-time event. 

After a bit more discussion, the vote was called and 15 residents voted no — they would not use the money to cut taxes this year, and 5 voted yes.

So an immediate tax break was out. Derek Dzhugashvili moved that the town use the money market fund to pay off the fire department loan, which was around $87,000, with the balance going into the Capital Building Maintenance Fund. The motion carried.

The money, of course, was not really a one-time windfall for taxpayers, since it was accumulated from tax money that was collected over the past two and half decades.

The big-ticket item on the agenda was the town budget, which was warned at $415,160 to cover municipal and road expenses. There was discussion about amending it to cover appropriations made earlier in the meeting. Then Jake Twitchell asked how paying off the fire department loan would affect the overall budget and it was decided that a $15,000 payment would be canceled. So the town budget was amended to $406,949.54 and voters approved it.

On the personnel front, Scott Gillette was reelected to a three-year term on the selectboard, and Dan Perera got a year as road commissioner.

In addition, Perera informed the voters that the selectboard had approved cannabis sales in town, but there will need to be a town vote and then state approval. And Stacey Peters reminded voters about the annual school vote on May 9. 

LEICESTER

Voters in Leicester seemed to be in an agreeable mood in Town Meeting Day voting. They approved everything on the warning by comfortable margins.

The largest dollar-value item on the ballot also was the item that passed with the largest vote total — the town budget. Leicester residents voted 150-24 in favor of spending of $798,562 for town expenses, which represents an increase of $36,296, or 4.8%, from the figure approved last year. The meeting warning broke out that proposed spending at $330,972 for general town spending and $467,590 for roads. 

Despite that hike in spending, the projected property taxes would actually slide almost $5,000, or 1%, to $590,319. 

Voters also approved donating $1,000 apiece to the Addison County Economic Development Corp. and Turning Point Center of Addison County. They both earned 138 yes votes, which was about 100 more than the nays.

The only thing that could be called contentious was a petitioned item that asked voters to approve or deny the town authority to spend town funds to the Otter Creek Watershed Insect Control District (formerly the BLSG) to spay for mosquitoes — the petition didn’t specify an amount that could be spent. There was ample discussion on this article at Monday night’s in-person informational meeting. But when it came to voting, 131 residents said yes and 45 said no.

A slate of incumbents won uncontested elections for town office. They included John Rouse and Tom Barker winning three- and two-year seats on the Leicester selectboard, respectively. Town Clerk and Treasurer Julie Delphia was returned to those positions for three years. Beth Ripley got a one-year term as delinquent tax collector.

Also on that Tuesday, Leicester voters weighed in on a proposed Otter Valley Unified Union School District spending plan of $24,174,395, which will result in education spending of $18,629 per equalized pupil — 9.27% higher than spending for the current year. Across the six towns in the district — Brandon, Goshen, Leicester, Pittsford, Sudbury and Whiting — residents voted 755 in favor, 701 opposed.

Winning seats on the OVUUS school board where Kevin Thornton in Brandon, Fernanda Canales in Goshen, Brett Mullins in Pittsford and two at-large candidates, Brent Scarborough and Paul Lathrop. An open seat in Leicester did not earn enough write-in votes (10) to gain a winning candidate.

LINCOLN

On Town Meeting Day, Lincoln residents decided a four-way contested for an open seat on the town’s selectboard, formerly held by longtime incumbent Oakley Smith. Conor McDonough won the two-year term with 136 votes, beating out Dennis Filion (83 votes), Jacob Peirce (64 votes) and Joe Martell (41 votes). 

“I’m just very excited to be able to give back to my community and to hopefully start a trend of younger individuals getting involved within their community,” McDonough told the Independent on Wednesday morning. “I’m happy to have won and am grateful that the town picked me over the other great candidates. I will do my best to serve them dutifully.” 

Also on Town Meeting Day, selectboard incumbents Bill Finger (three-year-term) and Tim McGowan (three-year-term) both were unopposed in their re-election bids. In other uncontested races for town offices, Sally Ober won another one-year-term as town clerk, Todd Goodyear won another one-year-term as town moderator and Matt Collins won a one-year-term as first constable. 

Around 65 Lincoln residents packed Burnham Hall for the town’s annual meeting on Monday, March 6. 

After a brief presentation from the selectboard and some discussion, voters approved $450,732 in general fund spending and $1,137604 in highway spending for the upcoming fiscal year. The general fund budget saw a surprising decrease in spending of $45,693, or 9.2%, while the highway fund represented an increase of 6.4%.

Lincoln residents also agreed to deposit $175,000 into the town’s Paving Reserve Fund, the same amount as the previous year.

Spirited discussion followed the reading of Article 8, which asked voters whether the town should spend $10,000 for contracted law enforcement services. Some residents expressed support for the proposal, intended to address speeding on Lincoln roads, while others suggested the money be put toward other methods of encouraging drivers to adhere to the speed limit. 

After much discussion and an unsuccessful request to vote on the matter by paper ballot, the article was shot down by voters in a voice vote.

Also at the annual town meeting, residents signed off on $44,000 for the Lincoln Library, as well as 26 voted appropriations totaling $41,860, an increase of 1.2%.

In other Town Meeting news, the towns of Bristol, Starksboro, Monkton and New Haven voted to grant Lincoln the ability to withdraw from the MAUSD district. That means the Lincoln School District will hold its annual meeting on April 11, during which voters will be asked to approve the school district budget, elect school board members and authorize the creation of a reserve fund to hold $74,754 the Lincoln School District is set to receive through its financial exit agreement with MAUSD.

Also during the Lincoln School District’s annual meeting, voters authorized spending the balance of privately-raised funds in the town’s School District Transition Fund. The school district has raised more than $90,000 to cover the one-time costs of forming an independent school district, which include legal fees, consultants and the recruitment and hiring of central office staff.

MIDDLEBURY

Middlebury residents on Town Meeting Day agreed to bond for a new $3.5 million water holding tank; revised their town charter; switched their tax-collection schedule; helped decide some competitive school board races and passed all financial requests on their warning.

The request for a $3.5 million municipal water holding tank passed by a 948-102 margin in Australian ballot voting on Tuesday. Residents at their annual gathering on Monday (see related story) had already agreed to use $1 million from the town’s local option tax surplus fund to help finance the $3.5 million project.

The proposed town charter change — which will allow for future town treasurers to be appointed instead of elected, passed by an 861-192 margin.

Middlebury residents on Tuesday helped decide a four-person race for two three-year terms representing Middlebury on the Addison Central School District board. Tricia Allen and Jason Chance received the nod for those two Middlebury seats, with tallies of 1,288 and 1,108, respectively. They succeed incumbents Mary Gill and Victoria Jette. Middlebury candidates Laura Harthman (521votes) and Ron Makleff (650) finished out of the running.

In all, five seats were up for grabs on the ACSD board, and all candidates were elected at-large by voters in the district-member towns of Bridport, Cornwall, Middlebury, Ripton, Salisbury, Shoreham and Weybridge (See story on Page 1A).

There were no other contested elections on the Middlebury ballot. Incumbent Selectmen Dan Brown and Brian Carpenter were unopposed for new three-year terms, while incumbent selectboard member Isabel Gogarty was unchallenged for a two-year term.

In a series of resounding voice votes, Middlebury residents at their annual meeting on Monday endorsed:

• A proposed Fiscal year 2023-2024 municipal budget of $12,921,448, representing an 8.3% increase compared to this year. But town officials made a few revenue adjustments — including dipping into the town’s Local Option Tax surplus fund — to limit the pain to a 4.5-cent (or 5.2%) increase in the municipal property tax rate.

• A proposal to use up to $295,000 from the Cross Street Bridge Reserve Fund to buy (and remove) the former Maverick Gas Station at 82 Court St. This will allow for a future realignment of the Cross street-Monroe Street-Charles Avenue intersection.

• A proposal to apply up to $228,496 from the Cross Street Bridge Reserve Fund to help offset the tax impacts of the FY24 capital improvement budget, including $135,636 in debt service for renovations to one of the former Middlebury wastewater treatment plant buildings that will be used by the police department.

• A suggested change in the town’s property tax payment schedule. Taxpayers currently pay their property taxes in three installments, but that will change in FY’24 to two equal installments, due on Nov. 15, 2023, and March 15, 2024. See related story for the selectboard’s reasons for the change.

Middlebury residents helped pass, by an 1,889 to 465 margin, a proposed fiscal year 2024 ACSD budget of $42,269,305, which represents a 7.2% increase in education spending and an 8.1% hike in the cost per equalized pupil. The budget is expected to create a new education property tax rate of $1.67 per $100 of property value in Middlebury — representing a 1-cent decrease compared to this year.

MONKTON

In Monkton, over 90 residents turned out for Saturday’s annual town meeting, held in person for the first time since 2020. 

Residents in attendance engaged in spirited discussion around Article 6 of Monkton’s Town Meeting Day warning, which asked whether the town should sell the 1859 Town Hall building. Monkton voters approved the article, 57-33, after the sales agreement was amended to include that the future buyer must maintain the building’s exterior in accordance with the national historic preservation standards.  

“By a good margin (Monkton voters) decided to sell the building. The selectboard will take it up at our next meeting,” Selectboard Chair Stephen Pilcher told the Independent following Saturday’s meeting.

Monkton voters at Saturday’s meeting also approved $873,135 in proposed highway spending (a 6.3% hike), $778,446.50 in general fund expenditures (a 1.5% increase) and up to $240,000 for the purchase of a Mack dump truck. Residents also signed off on appropriations to 26 social service agencies, totaling $27,749. 

On Town Meeting Day, Monkton voters elected their town officials. Selectboard incumbents John McNerney (two-year-term) and Walter Crandall (three-year-term) were re-elected to the board. Both ran unopposed. 

Sharon Gomez ran unopposed and won another one-year-term as town clerk. Gomez was the town’s top vote-getter of the day, with 281 tallies. In other uncontested elections, Jerry Schwarz won a one-year term as town moderator and Marilyn Cargill and Wendy Sue Harper both won three-year-terms on the town’s planning commission. 

Two races for a spot representing Monkton on the Mount Abraham Unified School District Board appeared blank on Monkton voters’ ballots, as no residents had filed to run for the seats. No residents garnered sufficient votes for a write-in campaign on Town Meeting Day, and thus the MAUSD board will now work with the Monkton selectboard to appoint two residents to fill the seats for a one-year-term. 

Monkton voters approved the MAUSD’s withdrawal agreement with the Lincoln School District, 193-78. The withdrawal agreement was also approved in the MAUSD’s three other member towns of Starksboro, Bristol and New Haven. 

 Voters also agreed to adopt the proposed Unified Planning Document that was approved by the selectboard on Jan. 24, to amend and replace the town’s previous Unified Planning Document, 223-49.

Also on Town Meeting Day, Monkton voters, along with other voters in the MAUSD, approved a $33,868,900 spending plan for the 2023-2024 school year, 812-460, with all ballots commingled. The proposed plan reflects $22,914.77 in spending per equalized pupil, an increase of $3,088.40, or 15.52%. 

Monkton residents joined other MAUSD voters in agreeing to authorize the MAUSD Board to transfer up to $1.7 million from the Capital Reserve Fund to the district’s general fund in order to pay for expenses related to the ongoing lobby and bathroom renovations at Mount Abraham Union High School, 907-358. 

NEW HAVEN

On Town Meeting Day, New Haven voters elected two new faces to serve on the town’s selectboard. Michael Audy won a two-year-term and Marie Jewett was elected to a three-year-term. Both ran unopposed. 

In other uncontested races for town offices, Danielle Hubbell won a one-year-term for delinquent tax collector and Jay Best won a three-year-term for lister. 

An open seat to represent New Haven on the Mount Abraham Unified School District Board appeared blank on New Haven voters’ ballots, as no residents had filed to run for the open seat. No residents garnered sufficient votes for a write-in campaign on Town Meeting Day, and thus the MAUSD board will work with the New Haven selectboard to appoint a resident to fill the seat for a one-year-term.

New Haven residents voted 232-60 to spend up to $70,000 of the town’s American Rescue Plan Act funds to purchase 5 acres of land owned by VELCO off Route 17. The land could potentially host a new fire station for the town. Voters also signed off on spending up to $140,000 from the Reserve Facilities Fund to do major repairs to the façade of the Town Hall, 244-49. 

New Haven voters also approved: 

• $774,474 for general fund spending, a 5.3% increase.

• $1,285,297 for Highway Fund Spending, a 4.7% hike.

• $26,358 in appropriations for local organizations, a bump of 2.9%.

New Haven voters on Town Meeting Day narrowly approved the MAUSD’s withdrawal agreement with the Lincoln School District, 151-135. The withdrawal agreement was also approved in the MAUSD’s three other member towns of Starksboro, Bristol and Monkton. 

Voters in New Haven, along with other voters in the MAUSD, on Town Meeting Day agreed to adopt a $33,868,900 spending plan for the 2023-2024 school year, 812-460, with all ballots commingled. The proposed plan reflects $22,914.77 in spending per equalized pupil, an increase of $3,088.40, or 15.52%. 

District voters also agreed to authorize the school board to transfer up to $1.7 million from the Capital Reserve Fund to the district’s general fund to cover expenses related to the ongoing lobby and bathroom renovations at Mount Abraham Union High School, 907-358.

PANTON

On Town Meeting Day, Panton residents weighed in by Australian balloting on higher town spending, a truck purchase, the elimination of a town position and elected several unopposed candidates.

By an 83-16 tally, residents backed the selectboard’s proposal for $842,441 of town spending in the 2023-2024 fiscal year. That represents an increase of about $86,000, or just under 10%, over the spending level residents approved a year ago.

According to officials, more than half of the increase is due to a revenue shortfall from a previous year, another $19,000 comes from higher personnel costs for the town’s highway department, and most of the rest is due to inflation. 

Voters also authorized the town to borrow up to $250,000 to buy a new dump/plow truck, payable for up to five years, by a 74-23 margin. Loan payments will not take effect until the next fiscal year. 

The selectboard also put a proposal on the ballot to eliminate the positions of lister, which have gone begging recently in Panton. The board made the case that given that problem and the growing complexity of the job the town would be better off continuing to hire professionals. Residents agreed, 52-13, but with 42 blank ballots. 

Voters also backed a series of annual capital fund requests totaling $65,500, an amount that was unchanged from a year ago, and a number of nonprofit requests totaling $13,501.

In voting for town offices, three candidates won without opposition: Selectman Zach Weaver was returned to office, newcomer John DeGraaf earned a berth on Vergennes-Panton Water District board, and appointed incumbent Marth DeGraaf was returned to the Addison Northwest School District (AWNSD) board. DeGraaf was also voted in as town meeting moderator.  

Panton joined Addison, Ferrisburgh, Vergennes and Waltham in supporting an ANWSD budget plan of roughly $25.3 million, which is about 13% higher than the previous year. It preserves existing programs and adds a couple of jobs, notably a middle school principal and a Vergennes Union Elementary School administrator.

Officials said higher costs for salaries, health insurance, energy, transportation, property and liability insurance, and a higher Hannaford Career Center budget, are major factors driving spending higher. 

Because of increased state funding for education, that higher spending will require only a 1.56-cent increase to the district tax rate.

But due to higher property values, ANWSD communities have seen their Common Levels of Appraisals (CLAs) plummet by between roughly 5 and 12%, and the lower CLAs are expected to drive up rates in district towns.

In Panton that means an increase of about 10.5 cents in the residential school tax rate to an estimated $1.7042, according to ANWSD estimates. Those estimates are based on current information. The two-thirds of residential property tax payers who pay based on income will not feel the full impact of the increase. 

ORWELL

No big surprises at Orwell Town Meeting Day on Tuesday. Incumbents were returned to office and the two budgets that were voted on both passed.

The one thing that remained unsettled when residents left town hall Tuesday morning and finished casting ballots on Tuesday evening was the three-year position of town auditor. There were numerous write-ins for the job, Town Clerk Betty Walker said, but none got enough to qualify for the position.

Earning jobs at the ballot box were two selectboard members: Rex Corey got a three-year seat, and Bill Goddard got two years. Returning for one-year terms are Town Clerk Walker, Town Treasurer Bryan Young and First Constable Allen R. Alger. Other elected on Tuesday were:

• Danielle Rougeau for two years as auditor.

• Listers Cheryl Tudhope and Becky Quesnel.

• Library Trustees Karen DeMoy and Virginia Wilson.

• Cemetery Commissioner Wayne G. Hall and Arlene Batschelet.

• Delinquent Tax Collector Diane Jackson.

The proposed town budget of $1,364,712, which is a more than a 10% increase over last year, was approved. The amount of the 2023 spending plan that will be paid in taxes ($828,275) represents an increase of less than 3.5% from last year. The sewer budget also passed as proposed.

Voters also agreed to appropriate $10,000 to paint the exterior of the Wright Memorial Library Building. 

On the Slate Valley Unified School District ballot, Orwell’s incumbent school board member John Wurzbacher was returned for a three-year term.

Orwell voters joined residents of Fair Haven, Castleton, Hubbarton, Benson and West Haven in approving the Slate Valley school spending plant as warned: $28,056,400. That represented an increase of a little less than 7% from the figure that voters approved last year after rejecting the spending plan once. Tuesday’s vote was 1,118 yes and 841 no.

RIPTON

Ripton residents at their 2023 Town Meeting favorably dispatched all articles on their warning and participated in hotly contested elections for five seats on the Addison Central School District board. Among them was a four-person race for two three-year terms representing Middlebury on the 13-member ACSD panel. 

Tricia Allen and Jason Chance received the nod for those two Middlebury seats, with tallies of 1,288 and 1,108, respectively. They’ll succeed incumbents Mary Gill and Victoria Jette, both of whom chose not to seek re-election. Candidates Laura Harthman (521 votes) and Ron Makleff (650) finished out of the running for the two Middlebury seats.

Candidates in all the ACSD elections were elected at-large by voters in the district-member towns of Bridport, Cornwall, Middlebury, Ripton, Salisbury, Shoreham and Weybridge.

In other ACSD board races on Tuesday:

• Ellen Whelan-Wuest was picked to serve the final year of a term recently vacated by former Cornwall ACSD rep. Peter Conlon. Whelan-Wuest was the top vote-getter with 1,143 tallies. Chris Kramer, with 589 votes, and Jeffrey Taylor, with 392 tallies, finished out of the running.

• Suzanne Buck was sent to another three-year term on the board representing Bridport. She defeated challenger Hildie Stone, 1,207-816, for that seat. 

• Ellie Romp was unchallenged for Salisbury’s lone seat on the ACSD board. Romp succeeds incumbent Jennifer Nuceder, who chose not to seek re-election.

There were no other contested elections on the Ripton ballot. Incumbent Selectboard member Laurie Cox was unchallenged for another three-year term.

Earning approval by voice vote at Ripton’s Town Meeting were requests for:

• $257,933 for general fund expenses, representing a 4% increase in spending, and $477,990 for anticipated highway needs (an 11% increase) during fiscal year 2023-2024.

• $35,000 in previously approved (May 9, 2022) Ripton School District funds to reduce taxes.

• $44,840 to pay anticipated FY’24 expenses for the Ripton Volunteer Fire and First Response Department.

• $6,000 for the Ripton Cemetery Commission.

• Permission to spend up to $75,000 from Ripton’s American Rescue Plan Act funds for a solar installation to provide electricity for the town buildings and streetlights.

• Permission to set a property tax collection date of November 1, 2023.

• Appropriations ranging from $50 to $5,880 for various nonprofits that serve Ripton residents.

Ripton residents helped pass, by an 1,889 to 465 margin, a proposed fiscal year 2024 ACSD budget of $42,269,305, which represents a 7.2% increase in education spending and an 8.1% hike in the cost per equalized pupil. The budget is expected to create a new education property tax rate of $1.76 per $100 of property value in Ripton — representing a 9-cent decrease compared to this year.

Town Meeting Day in Ripton this year drew 157 voters, a 36% turnout.

SALISBURY

Salisbury voters at their town meeting resolved contested elections for first constable and several posts on the Addison Central School District board. Residents also passed all money items on their warning.

Residents defeated one article on their docket, by a 111-79 tally: A proposal to contribute funding for spraying adulticide for mosquito control in the Otter Creek Insect Control District (formally known as the BLSG) during fiscal year 2024.

In the town’s lone contested race, Ryan Emilio topped Jeff McDonough, 112-61, for first constable.

Salisbury voters also helped decide contested races for another four seats on the 13-member ACSD board. They included:

• A four-person race for two available three-year terms representing Middlebury. Tricia Allen and Jason Chance earned voter approval to fill two seats representing the shire town on the 13-member panel, succeeding incumbents Mary Gill and Victoria Jette, both of whom chose not to seek re-election. Allen topped the field with 1,288 tallies, and Chance made the cut with 1,108. Middlebury candidates Laura Harthman (521 votes) and Ron Makleff (650) finished out of the running.

• Ellen Whelan-Wuest was picked to serve the final year of a term recently vacated by former Cornwall ACSD Rep. Peter Conlon. Whelan-Wuest was the top vote-getter with 1,143 tallies. Chris Kramer, with 589 votes, and Jeffrey Taylor, with 392 tallies, finished out of the running.

• Ellie Romp was unchallenged for Salisbury’s lone seat on the ACSD board. Romp succeeds incumbent Jennifer Nuceder, who chose not to seek re-election.

Candidates in all the ACSD elections were elected at-large by voters in the district-member towns of Bridport, Cornwall, Middlebury, Ripton, Salisbury, Shoreham and Weybridge.

Residents endorsed a fiscal year 2024 general fund budget of $348,684, up about 5%, by an 178-10 tally, and a highway department ask of $515,550, up by roughly $10,000, or 2%, by a 174-11 margin.

In other Town Meeting Day action, Salisbury voters OK’s requests for:

• $3,900 to complete a survey of a town-negotiated conservation easement located on Upper Plains Road.

• Permission to apply roughly $30,000 in surplus funds to lower the FY24 tax rate.

• A combined total of $98,270 to support a variety of area nonprofits that serve Salisbury residents.

Salisbury residents helped pass, by an 1,889 to 465 margin, a fiscal year 2024 ACSD budget of $42,269,305, which represents a 7.2% increase in education spending and an 8.1% hike in the cost per equalized pupil. The budget is expected to create a new education property tax rate of $1.84 per $100 of property value in Salisbury — representing a 6-cent increase compared to this year.

SHOREHAM

Shoreham residents at their annual gathering passed all items on their Town Meeting warning.

And — as was the case for most ACSU district towns — the most excitement on Town Meeting Day centered on a series of contested elections for Addison Central School District board.

Shoreham voters helped fill five seats on the 13-member ACSD board. Among them was a four-person race for two three-year terms representing Middlebury. Tricia Allen and Jason Chance earned voter approval to fill two seats representing the county’s shire town on the 13-member panel, succeeding incumbents Mary Gill and Victoria Jette, both of whom chose not to seek re-election. Allen topped the field with 1,288 tallies, and Chance made the cut with 1,108. Middlebury candidates Laura Harthman (521 votes) and Ron Makleff (650) finished out of the running.

Candidates in all the ACSD elections were elected at-large by voters in the district-member towns of Bridport, Cornwall, Middlebury, Ripton, Salisbury, Shoreham and Weybridge.

In other ACSD board races on Tuesday:

• Ellen Whelan-Wuest was picked to serve the final year of a term recently vacated by former Cornwall ACSD rep. Peter Conlon. Whelan-Wuest was the top vote-getter with 1,143 tallies. Chris Kramer, with 589 votes, and Jeffrey Taylor, with 392 tallies, finished out of the running.

• Suzanne Buck was sent to another three-year term on the board representing Bridport. She defeated challenger Hildie Stone, 1,207-816, for that seat. 

• Ellie Romp was unchallenged for Salisbury’s lone seat on the ACSD board. Romp succeeds incumbent Jennifer Nuceder, who chose not to seek re-election.

There were no other contested elections on the Shoreham ballot. Incumbent Selectman Peter Lynch was unopposed for a new three-year term, while Molly Francis and Ruth Bernstein were unchallenged for one-year terms.

In other action at Shoreham’s town meeting, residents approved requests for:

• $425,553 for municipal expenses, an increase of 12% over prior year spending, and $980,430 for highway spending, a 7% increase, for fiscal year 2024.

• Authorization to appoint a town clerk/treasurer. No one challenged incumbent Julie Ortuna for that post.

• Permission to set Nov. 10 as the due date for FY24 property tax payments.

• Requests ranging from $400 to $5,000 for various area nonprofits that serve Shoreham residents. 

Shoreham residents helped pass, by an 1,889 to 465 margin, a fiscal year 2024 ACSD budget of $42,269,305, which represents a 7.2% increase in education spending and an 8.1% hike in the cost per equalized pupil. If approved, the budget is expected to create a new education property tax rate of $1.69 per $100 of property value in Shoreham — representing a 4-cent increase compared to this year.

STARKSBORO

On Town Meeting Day, Starksboro voters re-elected selectboard incumbents Carin McCarthy (three-year-term) and Eric Cota (two-year-term). Both ran unopposed. 

In other uncontested races on the March 7 ballot, Keegan Tierney won a one-year-term for town moderator and Amy McCormick won a one-year-term as delinquent tax collector. Kristen Toy ran unopposed and won a two-year-term on the Mount Abraham Unified School District Board. 

Starksboro voters also approved the MAUSD’s withdrawal agreement with the Lincoln School District, 169-24. The withdrawal agreement was approved in each of the MAUSD’s three other member towns. 

Starksboro residents joined other MAUSD voters on Town Meeting Day in approving a $33,868,900 spending plan for the 2023-2024 school year, 812-460, with all ballots commingled. The proposed plan reflects $22,914.77 in spending per equalized pupil, an increase of $3,088.40, or 15.52%. 

District residents also voted 907-358 to authorize the MAUSD Board to transfer up to $1.7 million from the Capital Reserve Fund to the district’s general fund to pay for expenses related to the ongoing lobby and bathroom renovations at Mount Abraham Union High School. 

At Starksboro’s annual town meeting on Saturday, 71 residents voted from the floor to approve: 

• $1,149,578 in General Fund spending, a 7.6% increase over the prior year.

• $57,495 for the Fire Equipment Reserve Fund, a 10% hike.

• $112,589 for the Road Equipment Reserve Fund, a 6% increase. 

• $40,000 for the Paving Reserve Fund, the same as the prior year.

• $43,667 for the Starksboro Public Library, a jump of 10.6%.

• $5,894 for the 911 ambulance service provided by Richmond Rescue for Starksboro residents.

• $50,200 for seven in-town requests and $29,636 for 26 out-of-town requests.

Voters in Starksboro also authorized the selectboard to borrow up to $496,849 to buy a replacement pumper. The loan will be paid within five years from the Fire Equipment Reserve Fund, with the first payment due during the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

VERGENNES

Vergennes residents on March 7 Australian balloting decided two contested races for major offices and weighed in on a proposed Addison Northwest School District (ANWSD) budget. 

One race not contested was for mayor. Incumbent Mayor Matt Chabot opted not to run. Mayor-elect Chris Bearor, also the Vergennes-Panton Water District Board Co-Chair, garnered 367 votes as the only candidate on the ballot to replace Chabot. 

Four candidates sought three two-year terms on the city council. Incumbents Sue Rakowski (333 votes) and Ian Huizenga (314) won re-election. They will be joined by Cheryl Brinkman, who holds a number of appointive offices in Vergennes and was third in the race with 284 votes. Don Perley, a DR Power Equipment engineer seeking office for the first time, trailed with 148 votes. 

In another contested race, Chrystal Little outpolled Margaret Carrera-Bly, 208-167, for a three-year term to represent the city on the ANWSD board. Both had sought appointment to the board this past fall, but that seat instead went to Michael Kane. Kane ran unopposed on Tuesday for a two-year elective term and earned 357 votes. 

Elsewhere on the ballot real estate appraiser — and former Middlebury town assessor and Vergennes mayor — Bill Benton ran unopposed to be a Vergennes lister and topped all city vote-getters with 381. 

Two incumbent Vergennes-Panton Water District Board members earned new three-year terms — Patricia Ganson with 360 votes and Bruce MacIntire with 358.

Vergennes residents also backed, 389-54, an article on the city’s use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

It asked if Vergennes should “establish a reserve fund to be called the Infrastructure Improvement Fund for the purpose of funding capital improvements including but not limited to city facilities, parks, and sidewalks to be funded by Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds totaling $723,257.72.”  

All nonprofits’ requests also passed easily. Residents did not vote on other city spending: The Vergennes City Council sets the city’s annual budget and municipal tax rate in late June.

Vergennes joined residents in Addison, Ferrisburgh, Panton and Waltham in supporting a roughly 13% increase in ANWSD spending to about $25.3 million for the 2023-34 school year. The budget preserves all programs and adds a couple of jobs, notably a middle school principal and a new Vergennes Union Elementary School administrator. 

Officials said higher costs for salaries, health insurance, energy, transportation, property and liability insurance, and the Hannaford Career Center budget are factors driving spending higher. 

Because of increased state funding for education, that higher spending will require only a 1.56-cent increase to the district tax rate to support it.

But due to higher property values, ANWSD communities have seen their Common Levels of Appraisals (CLAs) plummet by between roughly 5 and 12%. Those lower CLAS are expected to cause higher property taxes in district communities.

In Vergennes it means an increase of almost 21 cents in the residential school tax rate, from $1.7481 to an estimated $1.9574, according to ANWSD estimates. Those estimates are based on current information. The roughly two-thirds of homeowners who pay based on their incomes will not feel the full impact of the increase. 

WEYBRIDGE

Weybridge residents at their town meeting agreed to extend the term of their town constable, set new guidelines for delinquent taxes, forged a deeper relationship with Middlebury’s Ilsley Library and fielded several financial requests.

Local voters easily passed, by voice vote, fiscal year 2024 budgets of $551,000 for the highway department (up from $524,700 this year, or 5%) and $177,00 for town operations, representing a $2,200 increase or 1.2%.

Also earning voters’ endorsement on Monday were requests for:

• $25,000 to support the town’s volunteer fire department.

• $13,000 to continue the tow-sponsored volunteer recycling program through June 30 of next year.

• A change in the late tax penalty. It calls for payments received after the due date to be assessed interest at the rate of 1% for the first three months and 1.5% thereafter.

• A two-year term for the elected town constable (Kristine Bowdish), which is currently a one-year post.

• Permission for the town to enter into an agreement with the Ilsley Library to provide memberships for all adults in Weybridge. Kids in Weybridge and the six other Addison Central School District (ACSD) towns already have access to Ilsley Library services.

• Appropriations ranging from $94 to $2,500 for various nonprofit organizations that serve Weybridge residents.

There were no contested elections for Weybridge positions this year. Incumbent Selectman T. Charles Jordan was unchallenged for another three years on the board, while William Mayers was alone in seeking a two-year term.

But Weybridge residents on Town Meeting Day helped fill five seats on the 13-member Addison Central School District board. Among them was a four-person race for two, three-year terms representing Middlebury. Tricia Allen and Jason Chance received the nod for those two seats, with tallies of 1,288 and 1,108, respectively. They’ll succeed incumbents Mary Gill and Victoria Jette, both of whom chose not to seek re-election. Middlebury candidates Laura Harthman (521 votes) and Ron Makleff (650) finished out of the running

Candidates in all the ACSD elections were elected at-large by voters in the district-member towns of Bridport, Cornwall, Middlebury, Ripton, Salisbury, Shoreham and Weybridge.

In other ACSD board races on Tuesday:

• Ellen Whelan-Wuest was picked to serve the final year of a term recently vacated by former Cornwall ACSD Rep. Peter Conlon. Whelan-Wuest was the top vote-getter with 1,143 tallies. Chris Kramer, with 589 votes, and Jeffrey Taylor, with 392 tallies, finished out of the running.

• Suzanne Buck was sent to another three-year term on the board representing Bridport. She defeated challenger Hildie Stone, 1,207-816, for that seat. 

• Ellie Romp was unchallenged for Salisbury’s lone seat on the ACSD board. Romp succeeds incumbent Jennifer Nuceder, who chose not to seek re-election.

Weybridge residents helped pass, by an 1,889 to 465 margin, a fiscal year 2024 ACSD budget of $42,269,305, which represents a 7.2% increase in education spending and an 8.1% hike in the cost per equalized pupil. The budget is expected to create a new education property tax rate of $1.65 per $100 of property value in Weybridge — representing a 4-cent increase compared to this year.

WALTHAM

As decisions on municipal officers and spending returned to traditional in-person fashion at Town Meeting in Waltham on Tuesday night, March 7, the town passed all of its spending items, elected a new member to the selectboard and chose the board member she replaced as the town meeting’s moderator. 

The only major office coming open in Waltham was on the selectboard, where Don Ross’s term expired. Rhonda Williams was nominated and elected from the floor of the meeting to replace Ross, who had already been chosen as the town’s new moderator.

Residents backed in similar fashion the selectboard’s proposal of $269,925 of general fund and road spending for the upcoming fiscal year; that amount is an increase of a little less than $10,000 from the current level, or just under 4%.

They also approved $10,692 of support for the Bixby Free Memorial Library, and another $3,729 of requests from eight other nonprofit entities.

Waltham also weighed in on Tuesday in commingling Australian balloting with Addison, Ferrisburgh, Panton and Vergennes residents to support a roughly $25.3 million Addison Northwest School District board’s budget plan that called for a spending increase of about 13%. It preserves existing programs and adds a couple of jobs, notably a middle school principal and Vergennes Union Elementary School administrator. 

Officials said higher costs for salaries, health insurance, energy, transportation, property and liability insurance, and Hannaford Career Center spending are major factors driving spending up.

Because of increased state funding for education, that higher spending will require only a 1.56-cent increase to the district tax rate to support it.

But due to higher property values, ANWSD communities have seen their Common Levels of Appraisals (CLAs) plummet by between roughly 5 and 12%, and those lower CLAs are expected to drive taxes higher in district towns.

In Waltham it means a projected increase of about 25 cents in the residential school tax rate, from $1.6218 to an estimated $1.8736, according to ANWSD estimates based on current information. The roughly two-thirds of taxpayers who pay based on their incomes will not feel the full impact of the increase.

WHITING

There was a bit of a race for selectboard at the Whiting town meeting this year. Whiting is one of the old-school Vermont towns that does all of its business on the floor of town meeting. After gathering in the firehouse last March and performing some work on the town hall over the summer, more than three-dozen Whiting residents met in the town hall Tuesday evening to perform their civic duty.

Several incumbents easily won re-election. They included Moderator Pat Mattison, Town Clerk and Treasurer Heather Bouchard, Lister Stacey Freeguard and Delinquent Tax Collector Rani Fallon. Four library trustees also were re-elected: Jaime Quenneville, Peg Allen, Tara Trudo and Tammy Wilbur. 

The only moment of contention came when deciding a three-year seat on the Whiting selectboard. Incumbent Steve Quenneville faced a challenge from Jennifer Erwin for the spot that went to paper balloting. There,  Quenneville prevailed,  32 to 10.

The one money item on the warning asked for $455,260 for town expenses, an amount that was $44,042, or 10.7%, higher than what was OK’d last year. The selectboard said this budget would require $289,304 in taxes, which is $1,784, or less than 1%, lower than was asked for last year. Bouchard reported that $1,000 was added to the budget ask — so it was $456,260 total spending with $290,304 coming from taxpayers — and it passed on a voice vote.

Also on that Tuesday, Whiting voters weighed in on a proposed Otter Valley Unified Union School District spending plan of $24,174,395, which will result in education spending of $18,629 per equalized pupil — 9.27% higher than spending for the current year. Across the six towns in the district — Whiting, Brandon, Goshen, Leicester, Pittsford and Sudbury — residents voted 755 in favor, 701 opposed.

Winning seats on the OVUUS school board where Kevin Thornton in Brandon, Fernanda Canales in Goshen, Brett Mullins in Pittsford and two at-large candidates, Brent Scarborough and Paul Lathrop. An open seat in Leicester did not earn enough write-in votes (10) to gain a winning candidate.