It’s Town Meeting Day in Vermont, where some communities host in-person town hall meetings and others have voters going to the polls to decide on local matters such as community leadership and school and municipal budgets.
North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley takes a look at some of the key items Vermonters are considering.
Middlebury College Professor of Political Science Bert Johnson says taxing and spending are on the minds of most Vermonters.
“Even though that is kind of a perennial issue at Vermont town meetings, I think this year more than most it’s important to pay attention to those issues. Of course, we’re thinking of the school budgets which are coming in a little bit above inflation and a lot of districts are getting squeezed. We’re thinking of education reform and we’re also thinking of local option taxes which a bunch of towns are considering.”
Johnson finds the school budget votes among the more intriguing outcomes to watch.
“This year school districts have bent over backwards to try to say we have done everything we can to keep these budget increases down. But they are still going up above the rate of inflation. I wouldn’t expect a massive wave of rejections like we had two years ago, but it will give a sense of where the voters stand on this. And then the other thing I think is kind of interesting is the fact that we have far fewer infrastructure projects on the ballot statewide than usual. And I think that says something about where the public is on spending. So what is not there is in a way more informative than what is on the ballot.”
In Vermont’s largest city, residents go to the polls today to select eight of the 12 City Council seats. Voters will also decide on several ballot questions.
Progressive Gene Bergman is running unopposed for reelection to his Ward 2 seat. The longest-serving Progressive on the council is concerned that the number of uncontested races may keep turnout down. He hopes the city’s ballot questions, which include approval of a police and fire tax rate increase, will draw voters.
“You’ve got the tax increase and for the schools, which is vitally important and the school board I think has done a great job in holding costs down. Those are a couple of issues that I think will clearly drive people to the polls. And then there is the Racial Equity, Inclusion and Belonging charter change that I think will also motivate a number of people to come out and that’s really important to me given the frontal attack on equity at the national level.”
Burlington’s Racial Equity, Inclusion and Belonging question asks voters to approve a permanent office and director to address equity issues.
Currently, Burlington Democrats have a slim majority on the council, and today’s votes will determine if Progressives can create a tie. Burlington Progressive Party co-Chair Adam Franz notes that only two of the eight ward races are contested.
“We’re feeling pretty confident about our races. We’re not running enough candidates to win a majority. We would like to be in a position after this Town Meeting Day where if we pick up another seat next year, we would have a majority on the council. So that would be our ideal goal.”
Perhaps the most watched election in Vermont will be for mayor of Rutland. Current Mayor Mike Doenges resigned mid-term, and Johnson says that put an unexpected twist into that city’s town meeting ballot.
“Rutland unexpectedly has an opening for the office of mayor, at least to fill the office for one more year, because the incumbent stepped down to take another job and did so after the filing deadline to get on the ballot. So it’s an entirely write-in campaign that is being waged right now, which is pretty rare in American politics, much less Vermont.”
Town clerks have information on in-person meetings. Vermont polling places close at 7 p.m.