Reporter’s notebook: On voters’ minds in Waterbury, Moretown

March 11, 2023 | By Sam Jefferson | Community News Service

Editor’s Note: On Town Meeting Day, students from the University of Vermont’s Community News Service reporting program traveled to communities around the region to sit in on town meetings and talk with voters at the polls. Student reporter Sam Jefferson visited Waterbury and Moretown and filed this report.  

---

The Harwood Unified School District’s $45.4 million proposed budget for the 2024 fiscal year represents 6.5% increase in spending for the coming year, although programs and services remain level with the current year. Voters in the district approved the request by a vote of 1,192 to 599, according to results released Wednesday.

Interviews with voters at the polls on Tuesday bore out that result. Many said that supporting local schools was a priority, despite the spending increase. 

For Waterbury resident Jessica Burill, a health care worker, it was the main reason she ventured into Brookside Primary School to vote on Town Meeting Day. “My main pull today was to cast my vote in favor of the school board budget,” Burill said. “I’m hoping the money goes mostly to building repairs and upkeep — that way the young people and adults who work there are safe.”

Anne Decker, who is a music teacher in the Washington Central Unified Union School District, also came out to vote with the Harwood budget in mind. 

“Voting for the school budget to keep our schools running was important,” she said after voting, noting that she has two children in the Harwood district. “I think facilities are a big concern of my children who are in the system,” Decker said. “Making sure that our facilities are able to keep a safe environment is important.”

Waterbury voter John Williams said he thought the school deserved the benefit of the doubt with the budget. 

“I didn’t have too many thoughts on the [school] budget, but I generally trust that the school board is doing the right thing,” Williams said.

Over in Moretown, voters outside the town offices said they supported the Harwood budget although some said its growth is a concern. “I support our schools wholeheartedly, but I do feel like our spending is way out of control with public schooling,” said Town Road Foreman Martin Cameron. “I’m extremely concerned as a taxpayer and homeowner moving forward.”

Retired guidance counselor, Cary Friberg admits that her experience as a counselor at Montpelier High School makes her a bit biased when it comes to school budgets. “I trust the school board — I was an educator for over 30 years, which slants my opinion,” Friberg said. “If the school board thinks this is how much money it takes to run the school, I trust that.”

Also on the ballot in Moretown on Tuesday was a request to give $25,000 to the Moretown-based childcare and education center Neck of the Woods. The measure passed 181-102, according to results from Town Clerk Cherilyn Brown. 

Center leaders hope to use that money to continue teaching children the values of empowerment, community and environmental responsibility, primarily by using the outdoors. The money would also help them pay their employees a livable wage, center leaders have said. 

Chuck Burt was pleased to see the article on the ballot. “It was really interesting to learn about what Neck Of The Woods is doing,” said Burt. “I have long worked in the child care industry, so I’m very supportive of things that make child care easier on families.”