Many Vermonters are voting today on local candidates, budgets and issues in Town Meeting Day elections.
Polls are open until 7 p.m.
This article will be updated with results for each Chittenden County city and town as they are available.
Bolton
Proposed town budget: $1,165,162, a 4.9% increase over the current budget.
Selectboard: Steven Goldfield is running for a three-year term, incumbent Janet Metz is running for a two-year term, incumbent Andrew Pond is running for a two-year term and incumbent Paula Gervia is running for a two-year term.
Items: Voters will be asked to vote yes or no on the following items:
- Paying real and personal property taxes to the Town Treasurer in four installments with due dates of Sept. 15, 2022; Nov. 15, 2022; Feb. 15, 2023; and May 16, 2023.
- Authorize the Select Board to add a quarter cent to the tax rate to support the Conservation Fund.
- Authorize cannabis retailers and cannabis integrated licensee operations in the Town of Bolton.
- Authorize the purchase or lease of an Excavator for the Bolton Highway Department, price not exceed $110,000, to be financed over a period not to exceed 10 years.
Proposed Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District budget: $52,410,895, a 3.2% increase over current budget
School district article items:
- Do voters authorize the School District to borrow money through bonds or notes totaling less than the anticipated revenue for the school year?
- Do voters authorize the Board of School Directors to assign surplus funds in the amount of $1,675,000 to the 2022-23 operating budget and remaining balance of $875,011 to future budgets?
Burlington
City Council: All candidates are running for two-year terms.
- Ward One: Progressive Zoraya Hightower (incumbent) and Democrat Rob Gutman
- Ward Two: Progressive Gene Bergman running unopposed
- Ward Three: Progressive Joe Magee (incumbent) and Republican Christopher-Aaron P. Felker
- Ward Four: Democrat Sarah Carpenter running unopposed
- Ward Five: Independent Faried Munarsyah, Democrat Ben Traverse and Independent Lenora E. Travis
- Ward Six: Democrat Karen Paul running unopposed
- Ward Seven: Independent Ali Dieng (incumbent), Democrat Aleczander Stith, Independent Olivia Irene Taylor
- Ward Eight: Progressive Ali House and Democrat Hannah King
Items: Voters will be asked to vote yes or no on the following items:
- Proposed 5.5% increase to general fund tax rate.
- Authorization to issue $23.8 million in general obligations bonds for capital projects.
- Pledging the credit of the city to secure $1,848,000 of debt for public improvements within the downtown Tax Increment Financing district.
- Proposed charter change to remove City Council authority to regulate sex workers.
- Proposed school district budget: $98,232,381, a 3.2% increase over current budget.
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Colchester
Proposed town budget: $13,880,217, a 2.9% increase from the current budget.
Selectboard: Incumbent Charlie Papillo is running unopposed for a two-year term, Maureen P. Dakin is running against Richard Paquette for one year remaining of a three-year term and incumbent Tom Mulcahy is running unopposed for a three-year term.
Items: Voters will be asked to vote yes or no on the following:
- Reauthorize the Selectboard to maintain a reserve fund accumulating annually through the continuation of the existing tax rate in the amount of $0.005 per $100 of assessed property value, for a period of six years, for the purpose of financing the Park Capital Plan.
- Reauthorize the Selectboard to maintain a reserve fund accumulating annually through the continuation of the existing tax rate in the amount of $0.023 per $100 of assessed property value, for a period of six years, for the purpose of financing the Capital Transportation Program.
- $11.5 million in revenue bonds or notes be issued payable only from available grants-in-aid and net revenues derived from the Town’s public sewer system over a period not to exceed thirty years, for improvements with a total estimated cost of $16.7 million to the Town’s public sewer system, specifically the construction of a sewer system in the Malletts Bay area.
Proposed school district budget: $48,563,209, a 5.3% increase over current budget.
School district article items:
- Shall the District set the level of compensation for School Board Directors to $1,700 annually (which is what they are currently paid)?
- Do voters authorize the School Board to borrow money for current and necessary expenses through notes totaling less than the anticipated revenue for the school year with the expectation that the general education payment from the state in September would make up for expenditures?
Charlotte
Proposed town budget: $2,616,067, a 24.7% decrease from the current budget.
Selectboard: James M. Faulkner (incumbent), running unopposed for a three-year term; Louise McCarren (incumbent) running unopposed for a two-year term.
Items: Voters will be asked whether they approve the following:
- Exempting property owned by Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services from educational and municipal property taxes for a five-year period.
- Allocating $890,526 to Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services for the fiscal year.
- Allocating $283,515 to the Charlotte Library for the fiscal year.
- Raising $50,000 through property taxes for a feasibility study for the Charlotte Community Center project.
Proposed Champlain Valley School District budget: $89,397,762, a 4.8% increase over current budget.
School district items:
- Shall the district use surplus funds in the amount of $1,000,000 to offset budget increases during the 2022-23 school year and assign any remaining balance to future budgets?
- Shall the district borrow up to $210,000 to purchase two new buses to replace older model ones?
Essex
Proposed town budget: $16,675,241, a 4.7% increase over current budget.
Selectboard: Kendall Chamberlin, Andrew Champagne, and Dawn Hill-Fleury (incumbent) vying for two three-year terms; Ethan Lawrence running for a one-year term.
Items: Voters will be asked to approve authorizing cannabis retailers and retail portions of integrated licensee establishments in the town.
Hinesburg
Proposed town budget: $4,802,207, an 8.3% increase over current budget.
Selectboard: Michael Loner, incumbent, running for three-year term; Phil Pouech, incumbent, running for two-year term.
Items: Articles 3 through 10 on the ballot are part of the proposed budget.
Proposed Champlain Valley School District budget: $89,397,762, a 4.8% increase over current budget.
School district items:
- Shall the district use surplus funds in the amount of $1,000,000 to offset budget increases during the 2022-23 school year and assign any remaining balance to future budgets?
- Shall the district borrow up to $210,000 to purchase two new buses to replace older model ones?
Huntington
Proposed town budget: $2,178,563, a 4.3% increase over current budget
Selectboard: Roman Livak, incumbent, unopposed for a three-year term; Everett Lewis Jr., incumbent, and Yves Gonnet vying for a two-year term.
Items: Shall the voters:
- Authorize creating a property reappraisal reserve fund.
- Spend up to $93,500 from the general-fund balance for buildings-and-grounds projects including fencing at the town garage, a fuel storage tank at the town garage and repair of the recreation field’s basketball court.
- Transfer up to $180,000 from the general-fund fund balance for projects including a bridge replacement on Camels Hump Road.
Proposed Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District budget: $52,410,895, a 3.2% increase over current budget
School district article items:
- Do voters authorize the School District to borrow money through bonds or notes totaling less than the anticipated revenue for the school year?
- Do voters authorize the Board of School Directors to assign surplus funds in the amount of $1,675,000 to the 2022-23 operating budget and remaining balance of $875,011 to future budgets?
Jericho
Proposed town budget: $3,235,269, a 3.5% increase over current budget.
Selectboard: Wayne Howe, incumbent, running unopposed for a three-year term.
Town clerk: Jessica R. Alexander, incumbent, running unopposed for a one-year term.
Items: Shall voters appropriate $409,699 of the total $753,988 for the budget of the Underhill Jericho Fire Department?
Proposed Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District budget: $52,410,895, a 3.2% increase over current budget
School district article items:
- Do voters authorize the School District to borrow money through bonds or notes totaling less than the anticipated revenue for the school year?
- Do voters authorize the Board of School Directors to assign surplus funds in the amount of $1,675,000 to the 2022-23 operating budget and remaining balance of $875,011 to future budgets?
Milton
Proposed town budget: $9,287,539, up 6.5% from current budget.
Selectboard:
Chris Taylor (incumbent) is running for a three-year seat.
Darren Adams (incumbent), John M. Fitzgerald (incumbent), and Kumulia Long are running for a one-year seat.
Items:
- Deciding whether the town will bond for up to $5,500,000 to pay for the construction of a new, 30,000 square foot highway garage.
- Deciding whether the town will authorize the operation of cannabis retailers and integrated licensees.
Proposed school district budget: $32,927,196, an 8.2% increase over current budget.
Richmond
Proposed town budget: $5,048,542, a 20% increase over current budget.
Selectboard: Bard Hill (incumbent) is running for a three-year seat. Jeff Forward is running for a two-year seat. Jay Furr (incumbent) is running for a two-year seat.
Items: Deciding whether the town will fund the Conservation Reserve Fund by adding one cent to the municipal tax rate.
Town clerk: Linda M. Parent (incumbentis running for a three-year seat.
Proposed Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District budget: $52,410,895, a 3.2% increase over current budget
School district article items:
- Do voters authorize the School District to borrow money through bonds or notes totaling less than the anticipated revenue for the school year?
- Do voters authorize the Board of School Directors to assign surplus funds in the amount of $1,675,000 to the 2022-23 operating budget and remaining balance of $875,011 to future budgets?
Shelburne
Proposed town budget: $9,842,992, an 2.5% increase over current budget.
Selectboard:
Michael X. Ashooh (incumbent) is running for a three-year seat.
Sean Moran, Matt Wormser, and Susan Bowen are running for a two-year seat.
Items:
- Deciding if the town will set the compensation to be paid to the Selectboard at $1,500 for the chair and $1,200 for each other member.
- Deciding if the town should raise $50,000 in taxes “for the purpose of obtaining options and/or acquiring land or rights in land to preserve natural resources and open space”; unspent funds going toward the Open Space Fund.
- Deciding if the town will establish a reserve fund for the purpose of repair and maintenance of municipal facilities.
- Deciding if the town will spend up to $15,000 for purchasing a utility vehicle for maintaining municipal facilities and trails.
- Deciding if the town will spend up to $66,500 to purchase a utility truck for the fire department.
- Deciding if the town will spend up to $87,000 to purchase mobile radios for the fire department.
- Deciding if the town will spend up to $168,000 for the Irish Hill recreation path.
- Deciding if the town will spend up to $350,000 to construct a replacement beach house at Shelburne Beach.
Proposed Champlain Valley School District budget: $89,397,762, a 4.8% increase over current budget.
School district items:
- Shall the district use surplus funds in the amount of $1,000,000 to offset budget increases during the 2022-23 school year and assign any remaining balance to future budgets?
- Shall the district borrow up to $210,000 to purchase two new buses to replace older model ones?
South Burlington
Proposed city budget: $52,525,176.75, a 6.27% increase over current budget.
City Council: Tim Barritt, incumbent, running against Linda Bailey for a three-year term; Meaghan Emery, incumbent, running against Christopher Trombly for a two-year term.
Proposed school district budget: $58,344,602, a 4.8% increase over current budget.
School district article items: Do voters authorize the School Board to use surplus funds from the 2022 fiscal year to support unanticipated expenses in the 2023 fiscal year which are due to the impacts of COVID-19?
Underhill
Proposed town budget: $2,997,150, a 12.3% increase over the current budget.
Selectboard: Robert Stone, incumbent, running against Peter Duval for a three-year term; Patricia Richards, incumbent, unopposed for a three-year term.
Town clerk: Sherri Morin, incumbent, unopposed for a three-year term
Items:
- Shall the voters approve the purchase of a dump truck for not more than $192,000 for a term not to exceed five years?
- Shall the voters approve a full-time administrative position to support staff at the town hall?
Proposed Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District budget: $52,410,895, a 3.2% increase over current budget
School district article items:
- Do voters authorize the School District to borrow money through bonds or notes totaling less than the anticipated revenue for the school year?
- Do voters authorize the Board of School Directors to assign surplus funds in the amount of $1,675,000 to the 2022-23 operating budget and remaining balance of $875,011 to future budgets?
Westford
Proposed town budget: $2,047,224, a 1.3% increase over current budget.
Selectboard: William Cleary, incumbent, running unopposed for a three-year term.
Town clerk: Callie Hamdy, incumbent, running unopposed for a three-year term.
Items:
- Shall the town of Westford collect its real estate and personal property taxes in four equal installments due on Aug. 15, Nov. 15, March 15, and May 15 commencing with the fiscal year that begins July 1 with USPS, FedEx or UPS cancellation postmarks being acceptable?
- Shall voters of the town of Westford accept the Selectboard’s budget of $2,047,224 to defray the expenses for the ensuing year?
Williston
Proposed town budget: $13,148,554, a 13.63% increase over current budget.
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Selectperson: Greta D’Agostino, incumbent, running for a two-year term.
Items:
- Shall the voters authorize that current taxes be paid to the town treasurer in three equal installments with due dates of Aug. 15, Nov. 15, and Feb. 15?
- Shall the voters of the town of Williston accept the reports of the town officials as presented in the Town Report?
- Shall the voters authorize the purchase of an ambulance for an amount not to exceed $280,000 over a term not to exceed seven years?
Proposed Champlain Valley School District budget: $89,397,762, a 4.8% increase over current budget.
School district items:
- Shall the district use surplus funds in the amount of $1,000,000 to offset budget increases during the 2022-23 school year and assign any remaining balance to future budgets?
- Shall the district borrow up to $210,000 to purchase two new buses to replace older model ones?
Winooski
Proposed city budget: $8,714,885.16, a 13.3% increase over current budget
City Council: Chad Bushway, Matt Crawford, Darrell Desautels, Aurora Hurd, Thomas Renner, David Xavier Wallace, and Irene K. Webster are running for two two-year seats.
Items:
- Shall the City Council be authorized to apply for and accept funds from sources other than Property taxation, and to expend the same for the benefit of the City in addition to sums for which budget appropriation has been made?
- Shall general obligation bonds of the City of Winooski in an amount not to exceed $1,300,000 be issued for the acquisition and equipping of a Fire Truck and related capital improvements for the City’s Fire Department?
Proposed school district budget: $21,287,921, a 9% increase over current budget
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism