Town Meeting Day 2024: Voters head to meetings, polls around Chittenden County
Voters across Vermont turned out on Town Meeting Day Tuesday to vote on town and school budgets, elect municipal officials and school board members, and decide local issues.
Here are the results from the March 5 voting in communities around Chittenden County.
Bolton, Burlington, Charlotte, Colchester, Essex Junction, Essex Town, Hinesburg, Huntington, Jericho, Milton, Richmond, St. George, Shelburne, South Burlington, Underhill, Westford, Williston, Winooski, Burlington School District, Champlain Valley School District, Colchester School District, Essex Westford School District, Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District, Milton School District, South Burlington School District, Winooski School District, Champlain Water District
Bolton
Proposed Town Budget: $1,601,157, a roughly 19.3% increase from last year's budget of $1,342,280.
Selectboard:
Leanne Marguerite Deschenes is running against Michael "Mica" Cassara for a two-year term.
Incumbent Paula Gervia is running unopposed for a three-year term.
Items include:
Should Bolton residents allow the Selectboard to increase the tax rate by one quarter cent to help the Conservation Fund?
Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District:
Proposed school district budget: $65,623,048, a 18.72% increase over current budget.
School Board:
Stephen Diglio is running unopposed for a three-year term.
Burlington
Proposed City Budget: The Burlington City Council votes on the city's budget in the summer.
City Council:
Ward 1: Democrat Geoff Hand is running against Progressive Carter Neubieser.
Ward 2: Incumbent Eugene Bergman, a Progressive, is running unopposed.
Ward 3: Republican Christopher-Aaron Felker is running against Progressive Joe Kane.
Ward 4: Incumbent Democrat Sarah Carpenter is running against Progressive Dan Castrigano.
Ward 5: Independent but Progressive-backed Lena Greenberg is running against incumbent Democrat Ben Traverse.
Ward 6: Progressive Will Anderson is running against Democrat Becca Brown McKnight.
Ward 7: Democrat Evan Litwin is running against Progressive Lee J. Morrigan.
Ward 8: Progressive Marek Broderick is running against incumbent Democrat Hannah King.
Items include:
Should Burlington residents increase the public safety tax by three cents to provide more funding for the police and fire departments?
Should Burlington residents amend the city charter to increase the amount of money the electric company can borrow from $5 million to $10 million.
Burlington School District:
Proposed school district budget: $119,604,584, a 14.84% increase over current budget.
School Bard:
Ward 1: Rida Kori is running unopposed for a two-year seat.
Ward 2: Polly Vanderputten is running unopposed for a two-year seat.
Ward 3: Saja Almogalli is running unopposed for a two-year seat.
Ward 4: Incumbent Martine Larocque Gulick is running unopposed for a two-year seat.
Ward 5: Incumbent Lucia W. Campriello is running unopposed for a two-year seat.
Ward 6: Incumbent Clare Wool is running unopposed for a two-year seat.
Ward 7: Incumbent Monika Ivancic is running against William Oetjen for a two-year seat.
Ward 8: William R. Church is running unopposed for a two-year seat.
Charlotte
Proposed Town Budget: $3,252,147, with $1,540,380 raised by property taxes and $1,711,767 by non-tax revenues. This year's proposed budget is approximately an 20.45% increase from last year's approved budget of $2.7 million.
Selectboard:
Incumbent Frank Tenney is running unopposed for a three-year term.
Incumbent Louise McCarren is running against Natalie Kanner for a two-year term.
Items include:
Should Charlotte voters allocate $989,087 from property taxes to Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services for the upcoming fiscal year?
Should Charlotte voters allow the town to propose a municipal charter to the General Assembly of the State of Vermont with sections on corporate existence, general provisions, town managers and road commissioner, separability, amendment and effective date?
Should Charlotte voters allow the town to issue no more than $365,000 in general obligation bonds or notes to finance a new ambulance over the course of a decade?
Champlain Valley School District:
Proposed School District Budget: $105,801,185 a 10.07% increase over current budget.
School district items:
Shall the school district finance $395,000 to purchase three school buses?
Shall the school district allocate a fund balance of $3,275,547 as revenue for future budgets?
Shall the school district take out a bond for $3.5 million to make school building improvements? Items include Charlotte Central School mechanical, electrical, energy efficiency and paving; CVU High School grounds and building repairs and replacements; Shelburne Community School building and grounds repairs, electrical and HVAC upgrades; Williston Central School flooring and Allen Brook School fire alarm system.
School Board:
Incumbent Meghan E. Metzler is running unopposed for a three-year term.
Colchester
Proposed town budget: $15,937,217, a 6% increase from the current budget.
Selectboard:
Incumbent Charlie Papillo is running against Peter Walsh for a two-year term.
Incumbent Pamela Loranger is running unopposed for a three-year term. She is currently chair of the Selectboard.
Colchester School District proposed budget: $57,425,957, a 9.6% increase over current budget.
School Board:
Jennifer Fath is running unopposed for a two-year term.
Incumbent Laurie Shepard-Kigonya is running unopposed for a three-year term.
Essex Junction
Essex Junction no longer holds a town meeting. There is only voting by secret ballot from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on April 9 at Champlain Valley Exposition, 105 Pearl St. A sample ballot will be available on Feb. 28.
Essex Westford School District election: not yet scheduled.
Essex Westford School District informational meeting: There will be a board meeting where the budget is discussed at 6:30 p.m., Feb. 20, at Essex High School Library.
Proposed school district budget: $115,043,210, a 4.5% increase over current budget.
School Board: Election will be on April 9.
Essex Town
Proposed town budget: $16,106,421, a 4.58% increase from the current budget.
Selectboard:
Incumbent Tracey Delphia is running unopposed for a three-year term. Delphia is currently vice-chair of the Selectboard.
Items include:
Require the town annual report to list the locations of commercial properties that received a municipal tax stabilization benefit, the amount of that benefit and the property owners (advisory).
Require the town annual report to list the names, titles, salaries and benefits of all town employees (advisory).
Essex Westford School District election: not yet scheduled.
Essex Westford School District informational meeting: There will be a board meeting where the budget is discussed at 6:30 p.m., Feb. 20, at Essex High School Library.
Proposed school district budget: $115,043,210, a 4.5% increase over current budget.
School Board: Election will be on April 9.
Hinesburg
Proposed town budget: $5,434,059, a 13.2% increase over current budget.
Selectboard:
Incumbent Maggie Gordon running unopposed for a three-year term.
Incumbent Paul Lamberson running unopposed for a two-year term
Items include:
Appropriate $41,450 for 10 non-profit organizations, with more than half of the sum − $23,100 − going to the Hinesburg Community Resource Center.
Champlain Valley School District informational meeting: 5 p.m., Monday, March 6, Champlain Valley Union High School, 369 CVU Road, Hinesburg.
Proposed school district budget: $96,119,804, a 7.5% increase over the current budget.
School district items:
Shall the school district allocate $600,000 of its current fund balance as revenue for the 2023-2024 school year and allocate $1,377,414 of the fund balance to future budgets?
Shall the school district borrow up to $395,000 to purchase three school buses?
School Board:
There is no Hinesburg representative to the CVSD board on the ballot this year.
Huntington
Proposed town budget: $2,395,465 (of which $2,008,921 would be raised by taxes), up 12.8% from the current budget.
Selectboard:
Karen Godnick Barber is running unopposed for a two-year seat.
Landel Cochran (I) is running unopposed for a three-year seat.
Town officers:
Heidi Racht (I) is running unopposed for the three-year term as town clerk.
Marc Heath (I) and Joe Segale (I) are running unopposed for two three-year seats as planning commissioners.
Jeanine Carr (I) is running unopposed for one-year remaining of a three-year term as planning commissioner.
Dana Cummings (I) is running unopposed for the one-year moderator seat.
Items include:
Authorize the transfer of $118,000 from the General Fund to the Highway Bridge Reserve Fund to be used for essential bridge repairs and reconstruction, including work on Bridge 9H near Texas Hill Road.
Transfer $42,826 from the General Fund to the Highway Paving Reserve Fund for paving repairs and reconstruction including work on Hinesburg Hollow Road.
Transfer $5,000 from the General Fund to the Highway Equipment Reserve Fund for the purchase of highway equipment, including replacing the town’s one-ton plow truck.
Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District:
Proposed school district budget: $65,623,048, a 18.72% increase over current budget.
School Board:
Gail Conley (I) is running unopposed for a three-year term.
Jericho
Proposed town budget: $3,456,499 a 2.1% increase from the current budget.
Selectboard:
Incumbent Erik Johnson is running unopposed for a three-year term.
Incumbent Joseph Flynn is running against Peter Booth for one year of an unexpired three-year term.
Town clerk:
Incumbent Jessica Alexander is running unopposed for a one-year term.
Items include:
Should Jericho issue a bond for $4.15 million for improvements to the town maintenance facility?
Should the town adopt all budget articles by secret ballot rather than town meeting?
Should the town adopt all public questions by secret ballot rather than town meeting?
Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District:
Proposed school district budget: $65,623,048, a 18.72% increase over current budget.
School Board:
Incumbent Susan Lillich is running unopposed for a three-year term.
Two positions are open for one year of an unexpired three-year term. No candidates have stepped forward.
Milton
Proposed town budget: $10,025,278 up 2.45% from the current budget.
Selectboard:
Incumbent Michael R. Morgan and challenger Lauren Blume are running for the three year term.
Incumbents Darren Adams and Leland Morgan, and challengers Lonnie Poland and Ember Nova Quinn are running for two one-year terms.
Town clerk:
Kristin Beers is running unopposed for a three-year term.
Items include:
Shall the property of the Arrowhead Senior Center be exempt from real estate taxes for five years?
Milton Town School Districtproposed school district budget: $37,172,203, a 7.3% increase over current budget.
School district items:
Should the Milton Town School District appropriate up to $72,723 of the district's fund balance to the Capital Reserve and Maintenance Fund?
School Board:
Incumbent Karen Stout is running against Nathan Steady for a three-year term.
Incumbent Melinda Young is running against Allison Duquette and Ember Nova Quinn for a two-year term.
Emily Hecker and Scott O'Brien are both running for a one-year term.
Richmond
Proposed town budget: $4,819,779, a roughly 6.4% increase from last year's budget of $4,530,571.
Selectboard:
Jay Furr is running unopposed. for a three-year term.
Matthew Moultroup is running against Adam Wood for a two-year term.
Items include:
Should The Committee on Temporary Shelter receive $1,000 to provide services for unhoused and marginally housed residents, such as emergency shelter and housing?
Should Our Community Cares Camp receive $3,000 to provide children with enrichment and food services and young adults with career development opportunities?
Should Steps to End Domestic Violence receive $1,500 to help residents who have experienced various types of abuse get back on their feet?
Should Turning Point Center of Chittenden County receive $5,000 to help residents recover from substance abuse?
Should HOPE Works receive $1,885 to help end sexual violence against residents?
Should the town spend $9,841,603 over three decades to address various health, safety, and flood-related concerns in the Town Center building?
Should the Conservation Reserve Fund be funded through increasing the municipal tax by one cent?
Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District:
Proposed school district budget: $65,623,048, an 18.72% increase over current budget.
Items:
Should the school board be able to borrow money (no more than the school year's expected revenue) through issuing bonds or notes?
School Board:
Incumbent Katie A. Nelson is running unopposed for a three-year term.
St. George
Meeting/Voting: 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 6, Little Red Schoolhouse, 35 Barber Road. (Meeting is held simultaneously with voting, which is done from the floor.)
Proposed town budget: $369,455, up 19.70% from the current budget.
Selectboard:
Elect a Selectboard member for the remainder of three-year term expiring in 2026.
Elect two Selectboard members for a two-year term.
Elect one Selectboard member for a three-year term.
Items include:
Pending the votes for town lister and auditor, eliminate the office of town lister and replace with a professionally qualified assessor and eliminate the office of auditor with future audits provided by a public accountant licensed by the state.
Create a Conservation Fund for the purchase and maintenance of open lands preserving natural areas in St. George.
Establish a permanent one cent tax added to the annual town tax rate to go into the Conservation Fund.
Permanently dedicate the nearly one acre allocated in 2021 for the Schoolhouse in the Town Center subdivision to the town to be used for town purposes. Those purposes would be decided by the Selectboard and approved by the Development Review Board at a later time.
Champlain Valley School District:
Proposed school district budget: $105,801,185, a 10.07% increase over current budget.
School district items:
Shall the school district finance $395,000 to purchase three school buses?
Shall the school district allocate a fund balance of $3,275,547 as revenue for future budgets?
Shall the school district take out a bond for $3.5 million to make school building improvements? Items include Charlotte Central School mechanical, electrical, energy efficiency and paving; CVU High School grounds and building repairs and replacements; Shelburne Community School building and grounds repairs, electrical and HVAC upgrades; Williston Central School flooring and Allen Brook School fire alarm system.
Shelburne
Proposed town budget: $13,027,637, with $8,775,102 funded by real estate taxes. This year's proposed budget is a 22.6% increase from last year's budget of $10,624,271.
Selectboard:
Chunka Mui is running unopposed for a three-year term.
Incumbent Matt Wormser is running unopposed for a two-year term.
Items include:
Should Shelburne purchase and equip an ambulance for Shelburne Rescue through issuing general obligation bonds or notes worth no more than $375,000?
Should Shelburne purchase and equip a new engine tanker for Shelburne Volunteer Fire Department through issuing general obligation bonds or notes worth no more than $1 million?
Should Shelburne raise $100,000 by increasing taxes to acquire land or rights in land for natural resource and open space preservation? Leftover money will be placed in the Open Space Fund.
Champlain Valley School District:
Proposed school district budget: $105,801,185, a 10.07% increase over current budget.
School district items:
Shall the school district finance $395,000 to purchase three school buses?
Shall the school district allocate a fund balance of $3,275,547 as revenue for future budgets?
Shall the school district take out a bond for $3.5 million to make school building improvements? Items include Charlotte Central School mechanical, electrical, energy efficiency and paving; CVU High School grounds and building repairs and replacements; Shelburne Community School building and grounds repairs, electrical and HVAC upgrades; Williston Central School flooring and Allen Brook School fire alarm system.
School Board:
Kate Webb is running unopposed for a three-year term.
South Burlington
Proposed town budget: $64,916,064.64 (of which, $21,043,140.22 would come from property taxes), an increase of 17.4%.
City Council:
Linda Bailey and Laurie Smith are running for a three-year seat.
Lydia Diamond, Julian Keenan and Mike Scanlan are running for one two-year seat.
Elizabeth Fitzgerald is running unopposed for one year remaining on a two-year term.
City clerk:
Holly B. Rees is running unopposed for a three-year term.
Items include:
Amend city charter to increase number of South Burlington School Board seats to seven.
Spend $5,750,000 for a 2.1 million gallon water storage tank west of Dorset Street.
South Burlington School District proposed school district budget: $71,192,891, a 13.86% increase over current budget.
School district items:
Shall the school district allocate $2,266,362 in surplus funds to the Capital Reserve Fund for future capital improvements?
School Board:
Chelsea Tillinghast is running unopposed for a three-year term.
Elaine Cissi is running unopposed for a two-year term.
Tim Warren is running unopposed for one-year remaining of a two-year term.
Underhill
Proposed town budget: $3,429,212, a 4.6% increase from the current budget.
Selectboard:
Incumbent Daniel Steinbauer is running against David Demarest for a three-year term.
Items include:
Shall the voters authorize the purchase of a dump truck and borrow an amount not to exceed $290,000 for a term not to exceed five years?
Shall the voters allocate $100,000 that the town receives for State Aid to Highways into the Highway Capital Reserve for the next 5 years?
Shall the voters exempt the property of the Underhill Jericho Fire Department from taxation for municipal and school purposes for a period of five years?
Shall the voters approve expanding the Selectboard from three members to five members?
Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District:
Proposed school district budget: $65,623,048an 18.72% increase over current budget.
School Board: No candidates for one vacant seat.
Westford
Proposed Town Budget: $2,223,929, a 3% increase from the current budget.
Selectboard:
Wendy Doan is running against Robert Bancroft for a one-year term.
Deb Jorschick is running against Greg Bemis for a two-year term.
Casey Mathieu is running unopposed for a three-year term with two years remaining.
Basil Panattu is running against Patrick Haller for a three-year term.
Items include:
Should the town spend up to $630,000 for a fire tanker truck for the Westford Fire Department?
Essex Westford School District election: not yet scheduled.
Essex Westford School District informational meeting: There will be a board meeting where the budget is discussed at 6:30 p.m., Feb. 20, at Essex High School Library.
Proposed school district budget: $115,043,210, a 4.5% increase over current budget.
School Board: Election will be on April 9.
Williston
Proposed town budget: $15,353,518 (of which $8,080,011 would be raised by taxes), up 16.7% from the current budget
Selectboard:
Greta D’Agostino (I) is running unopposed for a three-year term.
Mike Isham (I) is running unopposed for a two-year term.
Items include:
Shall the town take out a bond for $700,000 to expand the Town Hall parking lot by 6,400 square feet.
Shall the town take out a bond for $400,000 to construct and install a fire suppression system within the Old Brick Church.
Champlain Valley School Distric: 5 p.m., Monday, March 4, at Champlain Valley Union High School Room 160, Hinesburg.
Proposed school district budget: $105,801,185, a 10.07% increase over current budget.
School district items:
Shall the school district finance $395,000 to purchase three school buses?
Shall the school district allocate a fund balance of $3,275,547 as revenue for future budgets?
Shall the school district take out a bond for $3.5 million to make school building improvements? Items include Charlotte Central School mechanical, electrical, energy efficiency and paving; CVU High School grounds and building repairs and replacements; Shelburne Community School building and grounds repairs, electrical and HVAC upgrades; Williston Central School flooring and Allen Brook School fire alarm system.
School Board:
Brenda McMahon (I) and Sarah Showalter-Feuillette are running unopposed for two three-year seats.
Winooski
Proposed Town Budget: $10,981,086.07, with $8,309,546.35 raised from property taxes. This year's proposed budget is an 18.8% increase from last year's budget of $9,242,032.87.
Mayor:
Incumbent Kristine Lott is running unopposed for a three-year term.
City Council:
Incumbent Aurora Hurd is running against Nick Brownell and Thomas Renner for a two-year term.
Items include:
Should the City Council be allowed to receive and use funding from sources other than property taxes? Passing this article will not affect property taxes.
Should up to the $515,000 of the 2020 Capital Improve Bond be used to pay for improvements to the city's streets, traffic control and landscape, sidewalks and roads?
Should the city issue bonds, notes or other debts worth no more than $4.6 million to pay for the Burlington-Winooski Bridge Project?
Should $3.2 million of infrastructure bond proceeds pay for a supervisory control and data acquisition upgrade?
Winooski School District proposed school district budget: $31,970,907, a 25.65% increase over current budget.
School district items:
Shall the school district spend $2,669,825 for special education programs, which will come entirely from federal funds and not be raised through taxes?
School Board:
Isaiah L. Donaldson is running unopposed for a three-year term.
Elom Kpesse is running unopposed for a two-year term.
Nicole Mace is running unopposed for the remainder of a three-year term that expires in 2026.
Burlington School District
Proposed school district budget: $119,604,584, a 14.84% increase over current budget.
School Board:
Rida Kori is running unopposed for a two-year term School Commissioner seat for Ward 1.
Polly Vanderputten is running unopposed for a two-year term School Commissioner seat for Ward 2.
Saja Almogalli is running unopposed for a two-year term School Commissioner seat for Ward 3.
Martine Larocque Gulick is running unopposed for a two-year term School Commissioner seat for Ward 4.
Lucia W. Campriello is running unopposed for a two-year term School Commissioner seat for Ward 5.
Clare Wool is running unopposed for a two-year term School Commissioner seat for Ward 6.
Monika Ivancic and William Oetjen are running for a two-year School Commissioner seat for Ward 7.
William R. Church is running unopposed for a two-year term School Commissioner seat for Ward 8.
Champlain Valley School District
The Champlain Valley School District covers the towns of Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne, St. George and Williston. School Board candidates are listed according to town above.
Proposed school district budget: $105,801,185, a 10.07% increase over current budget.
School district items:
Shall the school district finance $395,000 to purchase three school buses?
Shall the school district allocate a fund balance of $3,275,547 as revenue for future budgets?
Shall the school district take out a bond for $3.5 million to make school building improvements? Items include Charlotte Central School mechanical, electrical, energy efficiency and paving; CVU High School grounds and building repairs and replacements; Shelburne Community School building and grounds repairs, electrical and HVAC upgrades; Williston Central School flooring and Allen Brook School fire alarm system.
Colchester School District
Proposed school district budget: $57,425,957 a 9.58% increase over current budget.
School Board:
Jennifer Fath is running unopposed for a two-year term,
Laurie Shepard-Kigonya is running unopposed for a three-year term.
Essex Westford School District
The Essex Westford School District covers the towns of Essex, Essex Junction and Westford.
Essex Westford School District informational meeting: There will be a board meeting where the budget is discussed on Feb. 20, at 6:30 p.m. at Essex High School Library, 2 Educational Drive, Essex Junction.
Voting: Election will be on April 9.
Proposed school district budget: $115,043,210, a 4.5% increase over current budget.
Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District
Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District covers the towns of Bolton, Huntington, Jericho, Richmond and Underhill. School Board candidates are listed according to town above.
Proposed school district budget: $65,623,048, a 18.72% increase over current budget.
Milton School District
Proposed school district budget: $37,172,203, a 7.3% increase over current budget.
School district items:
Shall the school district appropriate $72,723 from the district’s balance to the capital reserve and maintenance fund?
School Board:
Nathan B. Steady and Karen Stout (I)are running for a three-year term.
Allison Duquette, Ember Nova Quinn and Melinda Young are running for a two-year term.
Emily Hecker and Scott O-Brien are running for a one-year term.
South Burlington School District
Proposed school district budget: $37,172,203, a 7.3% increase over current budget.
School district items:
Shall the school district allocate $2,266,362 in surplus funds to the Capital Reserve Fund for future capital improvements?
School Board:
Chelsea Tillinghast is running unopposed for a three-year term.
Elaine Cissi is running unopposed for a two-year term.
Tim Warren is running unopposed for one-year remaining of a two-year term.
Winooski School District
Proposed school district budget: $31,970,907, a 25.65% increase over current budget.
School district items:
Shall the school district spend $2,669,825 for special education programs, which will come entirely from federal funds and not be raised through taxes?
School Board:
Isaiah L. Donaldson is running unopposed for a three-year term.
Elom Kpesse is running unopposed for a two-year term.
Nicole Mace is running unopposed for the remainder of a three-year term that expires in 2026.
Champlain Water District
The Champlain Water District serves the towns of Colchester, Essex, Essex Junction, Jericho, Milton, Shelburne, South Burlington, Williston and Winooski.
These towns' ballots may include the following item:
Should the Champlain Water District allocate $3,200,000 of unused funds to implement a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition upgrade.
Burlington Free Press reporters April Barton, Dan D'Ambrosio, Sydney Hakes, Brent Hallenbeck and Megan Stewart contributed to this report. Contact Burlington Free Press staff at metro@burlingtonfreepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Town Meeting Day 2024 results from around Chittenden County
