Duxbury calls pre-Town Meeting gathering for Saturday morning
January 6, 2022 | By Lisa Scagliotti Registered voters in Duxbury received this flyer in the mail with details about Saturday’s Community Gathering. Click to enlarge. Courtesy photo
With the promise of pie and socializing, town officials and community members in Duxbury have planned a special pre-Town Meeting Community Gathering for Saturday morning at Crossett Brook Middle School.
In November, town voters decided to change how March Town Meeting will be conducted -- opting to switch to Australian paper ballots for all town business. Gone will be the in-person meeting when questions are called and people vote largely by saying “Aye” or “Nay.”
The conundrum is a familiar one across Vermont as towns struggle to keep citizens engaged in the time-honored tradition of town meeting. Yet many community members aren’t able to attend the in-person gatherings and miss out when voting only happens in that forum.
Sensitive to the change, town officials and community members in Duxbury are organizing this new gathering early enough to discuss the draft budget with town selectboard members as well as other questions that may be put on the ballot. There’s time before those matters are finalized for citizen input to be considered.
The gathering also promises to be social, giving residents a chance to catch up with friends and neighbors and find out about some important projects happening with various community organizations.
Registered voters received a flier in the mail along with supporting draft budget material from the Selectboard. It lays out the details for the gathering where everyone is asked to bring a pie if possible -- home made or store bought.
The gathering begins at 8:30 a.m. with pie and coffee. At 9:30 a.m. a more formal meeting with town officials to discuss upcoming town meeting details happens. Although the discussion will be moderated, there is no voting on Saturday -- just discussion.
The agenda includes a visit from the town’s state representatives Kari Dolan and Dara Torre. Town officials will review the draft budget and introduce a long-term highway maintenance plan and cover any other items that may end up as ballot questions in March. Road crew members will attend and are looking for suggestions to name a new truck to be delivered soon.
There will be information tables from the Duxbury Historical Society, the Duxbury Land Trust and Green Up Day organizers, the Waterbury Ambulance Service, Waterbury Area Senior Center and more. Non-perishable food donations will be accepted for the Duxbury Elf Shelf as well.
While all are encouraged to attend in person, there is a telephone Zoom link for those who cannot be present and would like to listen online. Phone: 1-929-205-6099 Meeting ID: 242 7643402; Password: 456789. The Zoom connection will not be interactive, so anyone with a question should email a selectboard member ahead of time.
Local residents are also reminded that the March Town Meeting ballot will have elections for many town positions. Candidates are needed to run for the following offices:
Moderator (One year)
Selectboard (One year) - two seats
Selectboard (Three year)
Lister (Three year)
Budget Committee (Five year)
Cemetery Commission (Three year)
Cemetery Commission (Remaining year of three year term)
Cemetery Commission (Remaining two years of three year term)
1st Constable (One year)
2nd Constable (One year)
Delinquent Tax Collector (One year)
HUUSD School Board (Three year term)
HUUSD School Board (Remaining two years of three year term)
Candidate forms are due to the town clerk’s office by Jan. 30 along with a petition signed by a minimum of 13 registered Duxbury voters. It’s recommended candidates get extras in case some are excluded.
More information about local elections is online on the town’s recently updated website: duxburyvermont.org.