Tuesday was Town Meeting Day in Vermont and these are some of the voices heard at town meetings around the state.
Vt. Town Meetings Tackle Elections, Budgets, Rec Facilities (3/1)
(Plainfield moderator Charles Barasch) (gavel bangs) "The meeting will come to order… The legal voters of the town of Plainfield are here by notified and warned to meet at the Plainfield Town Hall on Tuesday, the first day of March 2011."
Moderators Prep For Town Meeting Day With Refresher Course (2/28)
(Halifax town moderator Patti Pusey) "I’ve raised 7 children and people in town joke and say, ‘If you can raise 7 children you can keep peace at town meeting. It’s a cake walk.’"
Budget Discussions Can Be Collegial And Contentious (2/28)
(Essex Town manager Pat Scheidel) "It’s much better from the standpoint of the people who have to put the budget together, to look the people in the baby blues who are paying the bills and listen to what they have to say and to respond to their questions. I’m an absolute devotee of Town Meeting."
Rutland Approves New Recreation Center (3/2)
(Rutland Mayor Christopher Louras) "I’m extremely pleased that the voters supported the new recreation center down at Georgetti Park. It’s an investment in our future, it’s an investment in our community and frankly I’m proud of the voters that they supported it."
Addison Northwest Backs Unified Union (3/2)
(School superintendent Tom O’Brien) "I would hope that people would consider the fact that five towns voted once again in favor of forming the unified union, I think that’s the mandate but that’s not to say that a petition won’t be forthcoming."
School Budgets Pass Across Vermont (3/2)
(Steve Dale, executive director, Vermont School Boards Association) "It was a great day for the passage of school budgets and I think it reflects the tremendously hard work of school board members all over the state of Vermont to grapple with extraordinary difficult economic times we’re in the midst of."
Vernon’s Biggest Issue Isn’t Even On Town Meeting Ballot (3/1)
(Timothy Arsenault, Vernon town moderator) "All opposed, nay? … The ayes have it, you passed article 14."