Most voters throughout the county will assemble on Town Meeting Day on Tuesday, March 5. Voters in Athens, Brattleboro, Brookline, Rockingham, Vernon, Windham, and Westminster will convene on their own respective timetables, and Marlboro voters won't meet at all, with voters making all decisions by Australian ballot.
That day also marks the presidential primary election throughout the state.
According to the Vermont Secretary of State's office, "Vermont law makes town meeting a holiday for employees of the state government."
State law "also gives an employee the right to take unpaid leave from work to attend his or her annual town meeting, subject to the essential operation of the business or government. An employee must give the employer at least seven days notice if he or she wants to take advantage of this right to attend town meeting."
Most Windham County towns are listed here with the election information that was available by press time.
Brattleboro's Annual Representative Town Meeting - the only one of its sort in Vermont - takes place Saturday, March 23. Town Meeting members will be elected by Australian ballot on Tuesday, March 5.
Athens
• Annual Town Meeting/Election: Town Meeting will be held Monday, March 4, at the Athens Community Center (the former elementary school, at 28 Brookline Rd.) at 6 p.m.
All voting for town officers and the presidential primary will occur on Tuesday, March 5, by Australian ballot, as will votes on budgets for the Athens/Grafton and Bellows Falls Union High School districts and River Valley Technical Center.
Polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Athens Town Office.
• Budget: Voters will be asked to vote on a $643,357 general budget.
• Financial contributions: Voters will be asked to spend $32,886 for weekly trash/recycling service starting in June, and raise and appropriate a total of $6,726 in support of 10 social service organizations.
• Other: Voters will consider discontinuing use of the Australian ballot for election of town officers and to allow the sale of alcohol in town.
• More information: athensvt.com.
Brattleboro
• Annual Representative Town Meeting members will gather Saturday, March 23, at 8:30 a.m., in the gymnasium at Brattleboro Union High School (131 Fairground Rd.).
Warrant articles not acted upon by 5 p.m. will be moved to Sunday, March 24, at 8:30 a.m., unless the body votes to continue past 5 p.m.
Informational packets can be picked up at Brooks Memorial Library starting Thursday, March 7.
Caucuses and the town budget informational meeting are slated for Wednesday, March 13, at 6:30 p.m., in the Academy School gymnasium.
• Election: Election of town officers, Representative Town Meeting members, and Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) school board members will take place on Tuesday, March 5, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., at American Legion Post 5 (32 Linden St.).
Absentee ballots for this election are by request only.
WSESD elects board members by ballot on March 5 and then holds an annual meeting on Tuesday, March 19 to take up other matters, including school officers and the budget.
• Financial contributions: Voters will be asked to support a proposed $23 million operating and capital budget as well as plans to spend the town's remaining $1.38 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money.
Voters will also consider whether the town should raise and appropriate $367,810 to support 36 human service providers, spend $1.62 million to build a secondary Pleasant Valley water storage tank, spend $131,699 to pay debt service for water/sewer improvements serving Mountain Home and Deepwood Mobile home parks, and spend $80,000 in the Downtown Improvement District.
• More information: brattleboro.gov.
Brookline
• Annual Town Meeting will be held in the multipurpose room at the former Brookline School building (624 Grassy Brook Rd.) on Monday, March 4, at 6 p.m.
• Election: Voters will elect town officers on the meeting floor.
• Financial: Voters will consider allocating $201,299 to the general fund and $327,418 for the highway fund and authorize spending $10,000 in American Rescue Plan Act money for a new fire truck.
• Other: Voters will consider approving quarterly tax collection.
• Humanitarian expenditures: Voters will consider spending $9,746 to support 23 social service organizations.
• More information: brooklinevt.com.
Dover
• Annual Town Meeting will be held Tuesday, March 5, at 10 a.m., at Dover Town Hall (189 Taft Brook Rd.).
• Election: Polls will be open at Town Hall on Tuesday, March 5, for Australian ballot voting from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Financial: Voters will be asked to authorize a general fund expenditure of almost $2.6 million, and $1.8 million from the highway department fund.
• More information: doververmont.com.
Dummerston
• Annual Town Meeting will be held Tuesday, March 5, in person for the first time since the pandemic at 10 a.m. in the gymnasium at Dummerston School (52 School House Rd., East Dummerston).
• Elections: Polls will be open at the school from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
There are no contests for town government on the ballot.
Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) board members will also be elected on March 5.
• Financial: Voters will be asked to support an overall $183,000, or 18.8%, increase in taxes raised in the proposed $1.16 million budget. The budget includes increasing the capital fund by $85,000 and increasing the highway and general funds by $49,000 each.
• More information: dummerston.org. A pre-Town Meeting information session on Feb. 21 is available to stream at bit.ly/754-dummerston-pre-atm. Candidate statements appear in the current issue of Views of Dummerston, and a candidate forum is available at bit.ly/754-dummerston-candidates.
Grafton
• Annual Town Meeting will take place Tuesday, March 5, at Grafton Elementary School (58 School St.) at 10 a.m.
• Election: The polls will be open for voting by Australian ballot from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Votes by Australian ballot on the budgets for the Athens/Grafton and Bellows Falls Union High School districts and the River Valley Technical Center will take place March 5.
• Financial: Voters will be asked to approve a budget of $242,440 for the general (Selectboard) budget and $717,086 to maintain highways and bridges.
• Public safety: Voters will decide whether to spend $43,450 for emergency and public safety services (ambulance service, fire department, rescue squad).
• Humanitarian expenses: Voters will consider spending $12,081 to support 15 local and regional organizations.
• More information: graftonvt.org.
Guilford
• Annual Town Meeting will take place Tuesday, March 5, in the gymnasium at Guilford Central School (374 School Rd.) at 10 a.m.
A pre-Town Meeting information session took place Feb. 27.
• Elections: Polls will be open at the Guilford Central School from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. to vote by Australian ballot.
Incumbent Selectboard member Zon Eastes is running for re-election to a two-year seat, while Hannah Tustin and Chip Carter are vying for a three-year term on the board.
Windham Southeast School Board members will also be elected on March 5.
• Financials: Voters will consider approving $831,856 for general fund expenses, $1.1 million in highway fund expenses.
They will consider $268,550 for fire department operating expenses and $35,000 for the fire department capital improvement fund, along with $68,000 to contract with the Windham County Sheriff's Office for law enforcement services.
Voters will also consider changing the Annual Town Meeting date to the Saturday immediately preceding the first Tuesday in March.
• Humanitarian spending: Voters will consider spending $24,093 to support 14 health care and human services organizations.
• More information: guilfordvt.gov.
Halifax
• Annual Town Meeting will be held Tuesday, March 5, at 10 a.m., at Halifax Elementary School (246 Branch Rd.). A pre-Town Meeting information hearing was held Feb. 27 and will likely be posted on the Halifax, Vermont Selectboard YouTube Channel.
• Elections: Polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. There are no contested races on the ballot.
• Financial: Voters will consider approving $2,432,019 in Selectboard and highway expenditures. They will also vote whether to assess a 1% room tax.
• School: Voters will be asked to approve a proposed $2.28 million budget for the Halifax School.
• Humanitarian spending: Town Meeting will be asked to consider spending $20,574 in support of 18 social service organizations.
• More information: halifaxvt.com.
Jamaica
• Annual Town Meeting will occur on Tuesday, March 5, at 10 a.m., in Town Hall (3735 VT-30).
• Elections: Voters will elect town officers on the meeting floor.
• Financial: Voters will decide whether to exempt the Masonic Lodge land and building from taxation for another five years and to approve the proposed total highway and general fund appropriation.
• More information: jamaicavermont.org.
Londonderry
• Annual Town Meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 5, in Town Hall (139 Middletown Rd., South Londonderry) at 9:30 a.m.
• Election: Polls will be open at Town Hall from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. At the ballot box, voters will consider borrowing up to $282,000 to help pay for the town's share of a new $3.4 million community wastewater system in the north village and borrowing up to $515,700 for the town's share of the total $4.525 million project for same in the south village.
A pre-Town Meeting information forum to discuss the two proposals will be held Thursday, Feb. 29, at 6 p.m., at the Town Office (100 Old School St., South Londonderry). Greater Northshire Access Television will film the meeting, which will be available on the access station's YouTube channel.
Voters will also vote by ballot for the Taconic & Green School District school board members and the proposed $38.9 million school budget.
• Financial: Voters will determine how much to appropriate for the general fund on Town Meeting floor.
They will also address whether to spend $71,250 for fire/library/conservation operating expenses; $42,912 to support 22 health care/social service organizations; $50,000 (to be offset by registration fees) for a part-time, short-term rental administrator; and $90,000 to hire a fourth full-time highway department employee.
They will also decide whether to assess a 1% local-option tax on sales, meals, and alcoholic beverages.
• More information: londonderryvt.org.
Marlboro
• Town Meeting: There will be no in-person Annual Town Meeting. Australian balloting takes place on Tuesday, March 5.
Ballots have been sent to all active voters and may be returned through March 5 by mail, in the drop box outside town office, or hand-delivered at the office by calling ahead to ensure an officer is there to receive it.
In-person voting will be available March 5 at Marlboro Town House (13 Town Hill Road), where polls will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Town officials ask that voters bring mailed ballots.
Two back-to-back pre-Town Meeting informational meetings were held Feb. 24.
• Financial: Voters will consider appropriating $570,400 for the general fund and $1.05 million for highways.
Also to be voted is spending $55,000 to help defray fire department operating expenses, $50,000 for fire department capital improvements, $21,905 to pay Rescue Inc. and $5,000 to pay Deerfield Valley Rescue for emergency services, $5,000 for the community center, and $15,868 to support 16 health care/social service organizations.
• School: Voters will consider a FY25 $3.85 million proposed operating budget - a 2% decrease to this year's budget - for the Marlboro School District.
Voters will elect school board directors.
• Other: Voters will consider returning to an in-person Town Meeting, replacing the Australian ballot adopted during the pandemic.
They will also look at changing the term of constable from a one-year to a two-year term and making proposed bylaw changes.
• More information: marlborovt.us.
Newfane
• Annual Town Meeting will be held Tuesday, March 5, at Union Hall (2 Church St.) at 9 a.m.
• Election: Australian ballot elections will take place from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Financial: Voters will consider a proposed general fund expenditure of $1.69 million for town and highway operating expenses and capital expenses of $420,000, plus $98,000 to hire a new highway department employee.
They will also vote on a proposed $10,000 appropriation for the Historical Society of Windham County to help create a free public museum at the 1825 Jail Building.
• Humanitarian spending: Voters will consider approximately $41,640 for 29 local and regional organizations.
• Other: Voters will consider a change to quarterly tax billing.
In addition, voters will take up a nonbinding resolution to force the U.S. State Department to certify or end arms sales to Israel.
• More information: newfanevt.com.
Putney
• Annual Town Meeting will be held Tuesday, March 5, at the Putney Central School (182 Westminster Rd.) at 10 a.m.
• Election: Polls will be open to vote for town officials, the presidential primary, and Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) board members at the Putney Fire Station from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
There are three races on the ballot for WSESD seats and one, between incumbent Aileen Chute and challenger Frank Harlow, for a three-year term on the Selectboard.
• Financial: Voters will be asked to consider highway fund expenditures of $1.34 million and general fund expenditures of $1.83 million.
• Other: Voters will consider exempting the Yellow Barn from taxes for two years; levying a 1% local-option tax on sales, meals, alcoholic beverages, and rooms; transferring charge of town cemeteries to the Selectboard; and authorizing that property taxes be paid in three installments for the coming year.
• More information: putneyvt.org. Visit bit.ly/754-putney-candidates for a candidates' forum.
Rockingham
• Annual Town Meeting will take place Monday, April 1, at 7 p.m. at Town Hall Main Theater (Bellows Falls Opera House, 7 Square) to act on spending public money.
• Election: Presidential primary and school budget balloting take place on Tuesday, March 5, at 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Masonic Temple (61 Westminster St.).
Polls for the town election portion of Annual Town Meeting are open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2, at the Masonic Temple at 8 a.m.
• Financial: Voters will be asked to approve a proposed $6.54 million appropriation for combined general and highway expenses, $436,780 for Rockingham Free Public Library operational expenses, and an amount not to exceed $125,000 for five years to pay the town's share of Rockingham Meeting house structural repair.
They will also consider borrowing up to $280,000 for five years to buy a new highway department grader; up to $150,000 for the same time period to pay the town's share of Bellows Falls Train Station repair; and up to $125,00 to pay for Town Hall structural repair.
• Humanitarian spending: Voters will also consider spending $67,019 to support 16 humanitarian and community organizations.
• Schools: Voters will consider the $10.78 million Rockingham Town School District budget on the Australian ballot on Tuesday, April 2.
On Tuesday, March 5, voters will consider the proposed $3.28 million proposed River Valley Technical Center School District budget and the proposed $7.94 million Bellows Falls Union High School budget.
• More information: rockinghamvt.org.
Stratton
• Annual Town Meeting on Tuesday, March 5, will begin at 10 a.m. at the Town Hall (9 West Jamaica Rd.). Voters will consider the school budget at 11 a.m.
• Election: Polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Town Hall.
• Financial: Voters will decide whether to raise and appropriate $1.122 million for the general fund and $1.52 million to the highway fund. They will also consider appropriating $90,292 for fire department operations.
• Humanitarian spending: Voters will consider allocating $48,608 to support 28 local and regional organizations.
• School budget: Voters will consider a $925,565 Stratton School District budget proposal, which represents a 51.7% decrease to this year in per-pupil spending.
• More information: townofstrattonvt.com.
Townshend
• Annual Town Meeting will be held Tuesday, March 5, at 9 a.m. at Leland & Gray Union Middle School and High School's Dutton Gymnasium (2030 VT Route 30, next to Town Hall).
• Election: One three-year term and two one-year terms are open on the Selectboard. All nominations are from the floor the day of Town Meeting, and so it is as yet unknown how many will vie for those seats.
• Financial: Voters will be asked to consider spending $441,565 for general expenditures and liabilities and $921,552 for town roads.
In addition, they will consider spending $63,473 for town library operating expenses and $13,000 to increase the librarian's hours by eight per week, spend $50,000 to make Town Hall compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and authorize $50,000 for future Back Windham Road stone arch bridge restoration.
• Other: Under consideration is an article for voters to decide what future Town Meeting format will look like.
Voters will also decide whether to change to quarterly tax billing.
• Humanitarian spending: Voters will decide whether to spend $21,243 for social services.
• More information: unofficialtownshendvt.net.
Vernon
• Annual Town Meeting will be held Monday, March 4, at 6:30 p.m. in the Vernon Elementary School gymnasium. Free child care will be available.
• Election: Polls will be open on Tuesday, March 5, downstairs at the Town Office from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to vote by Australian ballot for town officials, school board directors, and the proposed $7.7 million town school budget.
There are no contests and several open seats.
• Financial: Town Meeting voters will consider a proposed $2.29 million general fund budget. They will also be asked to appropriate $529,685 for items in the capital plan and $15,099 for the solid waste district assessment to the town.
• Other: Voters will take up whether to continue curbside recycling and municipal building refuse collection.
A "no" vote will require a vote about dissolving the pay-as-you-throw fund and building a $50,000 transfer station, with an additional $60,000 appropriation for three part-time operators.
• More information: vernonvt.org.
Wardsboro
• Annual Town Meeting will take place Tuesday, March 5, at 9 a..m., in Town Hall (71 Main St.).
• Election: Polls will be open at Town Hall to elect town officials and for the presidential primary from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5.
• Financial: Voters are being asked to appropriate $455,826 to the general fund and $1.02 million to the highway fund.
The Wardsboro Public Library is asking for $64,579 in support, and voters will also consider supporting the fire department, the Windham County Historical Society, and six health care and social service organizations with a total of $93,726.
• More information: wardsborovt.gov.
Westminster
• Annual Town Meeting will be held Saturday, March 2, at 10 a.m., at Bellows Falls Union High School (406 High School Rd.).
• Election: Polls will be open at the Westminster Fire Station (103 Grout Ave.) Tuesday, March 5 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the election of town and school officers.
John Kmetz Jr. and Jason Perry are vying for a three-year Selectboard term.
• Financial: Voters will consider a $1.28 million appropriation to the general fund and a highway fund operating expense of $1.58 million.
The $5.37 million Westminster Town School District budget will be considered March 2.
Also requested is spending $8,000 to defray costs of printing and distributing the Westminster Gazette.
An anti-discrimination resolution, "Declaration of Inclusion," is also on the warning, calling for the town to welcome all and to commit to "being a place where individuals may live freely and express their opinions without fear, where kindness and respect are valued, and where all persons feel safe and welcome."
• More information: westminstervt.org.
Whitingham
• Annual Town Meeting will be held Tuesday, March 5, at 10 a.m. in the Twin Valley Middle/High School gymnasium (4299 Vt. Route 100).
• Election: Polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Twin Valley Middle/High School to elect school and town officials.
• Financial: Voters will be asked to consider general fund operating expenses of $3.11 million and $1.6 million for town roads.
They will also take up spending $193,425 for fire department operations, $60,000 for fire department equipment, and $94,180 to operate the library. They will consider appropriating $50,000 to the highway garage renovation/replacement fund.
• More information: whitinghamvt.org.
Wilmington
• Annual Town Meeting will take place Tuesday, March 5, at the Old School Community Center (OSCC, 1 School St.)
• Election: Polls will be open at OSCC from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Thomas Fitzgerald and Ralph Staib are vying for a two-year term on the school board, and Sarah Fisher and John Lebron are in a contest for a three-year seat on the Selectboard.
Voters will also consider the proposed $10.85 million Twin Valley Unified Union School District budget on the ballot.
• Financial: Voters will decide whether to approve a general fund of $3.11 million and $1.63 million for the road budget.
• Other: Whether to obtain an up-to-$3.1 million loan to extend water and sewer infrastructure along Route 9 East is slated to be considered, as will be an annual, two-installment property tax payment.
Voters will consider spending about $40,000 to pay for social service and health care services, including Beaver Brook Children's School, Grace Cottage Hospital, and Senior Solutions.
• More information: wilmingtonvermont.us.
Windham
• Annual Town Meeting will be held Saturday, March 9, at 10 a.m., at the Windham Meeting House (26 Harrington Rd.).
• Financial: Voters will consider approving a general fund of $339,107 and a road budget of $536,287.
• Humanitarian expenditures: Voters will also decide whether to spend $8,535 to support 19 nonprofit organizations, as recommended by Windham Social Services.
New proposed agencies include Brattleboro Development Credit Corp., Neighborhood Connections (transportation program), Senior Solutions (for Meals on Wheels), Townshend Community Food Shelf, Valley Cares Assisted Living, Vermont Fire Protection, and the Vermont Foodbank.
• Other: Voters will consider prohibiting the constable from exercising any law enforcement authority and changing that position from elected to appointed.
They will also decide whether to adopt Australian balloting to elect town officers and for special elections, except in cases where a floor vote is mandated by state statute.
• More information: townofwindhamvt.com.
This News item by Virginia Ray was written for The Commons.