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BRATTLEBORO

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Your support powers every story we tell. Please help us reach our year-end goal.

Donate Now

Your support powers every story we tell. We're committed to producing high-quality, fact-based news and information that gives you the facts in this community we call home. If our work has helped you stay informed, take action, or feel more connected to Windham County – please give now to help us reach our goal of raising $150,000 by December 31st.

Voices

Former town moderator weighs in


The writer served as Newfane town moderator from 2010 to 2024.


NEWFANE-In response to recent letters regarding Newfane Town Meeting:

All Newfane voters have the right to petition the Selectboard to put an article on the warning. It is then up to the meeting to vote on it. Majority rules.

I would welcome any article regarding a question of local, state, national, or international concern that followed the guidelines for what makes an effective article. An effective article asks a straightforward question on which members can vote Yea, Nay, or Abstain. Articles should not be overly long, have many subordinate clauses, or be mistaken for an editorial.

Just as voters can petition for political articles, they also can petition to limit debate to town business. Even during a town meeting, voters have opportunities to change the rules of debate, to amend articles, and to end debate from the floor by knowing, following, and using Roberts Rules of Order.

Deborah Lee Luskin

Newfane


The writer served as Newfane town moderator from 2010 to 2024.

This letter to the editor was written for The Commons.

This piece, published in print in the Voices section or as a column in the news sections, represents the opinion of the writer. In the newspaper and on this website, we strive to ensure that opinions are based on fair expression of established fact. In the spirit of transparency and accountability, The Commons is reviewing and developing more precise policies about editing of opinions and our role and our responsibility and standards in fact-checking our own work and the contributions to the newspaper. In the meantime, we heartily encourage civil and productive responses at voices@commonsnews.org.

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