LETTER: Sandy Sabin announces write-in campaign for Waterbury Select Board
February 20, 2025To the Community:
My name is Sandy Sabin, and I am running as a write-in candidate for the one-year select board position in Waterbury.
Long-term residents may remember me as Sandy Johnson. I grew up on Maple Street in Waterbury Center, a few miles from the home I purchased a few years ago. For those who do not know me, I attended Waterbury Elementary and graduated from Harwood Union High School in the class of ’81. I graduated from Champlain College with a degree in Law Enforcement and Accounting.
I am currently working in a municipal accounting position in finance in a nearby town. I have attended Waterbury Select Board meetings for the past year to understand community concerns and how they were addressed. Sometimes, coming forward and speaking publicly about your problems is uncomfortable. Public speaking is not easy for me either, and I am anything but eloquent, but I can read a question or address someone's concern for consideration at a meeting. In the past, I have addressed concerns as public comment questions if I, a friend or family member, feel it is essential to be heard. I, too, am worried about our taxes but also my hometown, and I want to bring a local voice to the select board.
On education: My daughter is a high school chemistry teacher who is currently living in California. She owned a home in Newport and worked at the high school there but left Vermont partly because living here and maintaining a home on her salary was not affordable. Losing qualified teachers scares me for the teachers and the students. I am also concerned about taxes and our burden on homeowners. I had no idea how it worked until I attended an informational meeting on the school budget. I am still unsure, but I have a better idea. There needs to be a change in how Vermont funds the schools, and I hope we see a change in this legislative session.
Regarding seniors in our community: I am nearing retirement age, but that date may have to be pushed back due to the current economic and financial climate. Many retirees in Waterbury are unable to manage the ever-increasing taxes. Some cannot earn additional income to make up for the increase in expenses, and they should not be forced to. Many of them have worked their entire life to be able to live in their home. We need to do our best to control spending so we can help safeguard the seniors in our community.
On housing: Waterbury needs affordable housing, and I attend Housing Task Force meetings regularly. I was asked to be part of the workshops on creating accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in Waterbury because of the knowledge I have gained in the last couple of years. Adding ADUs to current homes allows for the expansion of housing and also assists homeowners with additional revenue so they can afford to keep their homes and not lose them because of rising costs and increasing taxes. More immediate solutions are needed for renters, especially our local workforce.
On flood mitigation: Due to the current climate issues, flooding is not going to stop. Mitigation needs to be handled at both the state and local levels. We are not addressing the current housing issue if we lose existing properties due to flooding. We have been ignoring it for too long, and now we are paying for it. Let's consider the Housing Trust Fund in part to help homeowners retain existing housing and assist with building new housing.
On Local Option Tax spending: Most townspeople are aware of the new revenue source for the town. The Local Options Tax (LOT) implemented on July 1, 2024, generated approximately $445,000 in additional revenue for our town not anticipated in 2024. The select board allocated this revenue to various projects, including creating the
Housing Trust Fund, Guptil Road paving, and debt reduction. All of this was presented at the “Have Your Say Day” meetings for voters to ask questions and address concerns. You can also find information about the local option tax expenditures on pages 11*, 16, 21, 36* and 37* of the Waterbury 2024 Annual Town Report.
Townspeople would agree that the revenue allocated to municipal expenses that benefit the town residents is an appropriate use of these funds. For reference* the term “Perry Hill Trails Maintenance” mentioned in the Town Report is not on town property. This refers to an allocation approved by the select board to the private nonprofit organization Waterbury Area Trails Alliance (WATA) to repair state-owned land for mountain bike trails on Perry Hill.
On town infrastructure: Revenue from the Local Option Tax should first be allocated for municipal expenses such as capital improvements and roads. If we do not maintain or improve our existing infrastructure, there will be no town for visitors to come to.
I disagree with eliminating in-person town meetings for an Australian ballot vote. Town Meeting is a time for neighbors to get together to debate, discuss, and ask questions on issues together before they vote. When you lose our Town Meeting to an Australian ballot (secret ballot), it is a straight yes or no vote with no knowledge of the implications of the results. Voters should be empowered to discuss and question the budget and expenditures and address our town officials on our town's future.
I plan to make a motion on Town Meeting Day to amend Article 14 listing 2025 appropriations of the Local Options Tax carried over from unexpected 2024 revenue. This could create a lower tax rate, as discussed in the Town Manager's presentation to the voters about the charter change in 2023. If we eliminate our Town Meeting Day, this would not be possible.
The select board members work extremely hard to address the concerns of those who contact them and who attend the meetings. It is not an easy job, and you cannot always please everyone. Residents should be well-informed about what changes their local government could make before they go to the polls to vote.
Please write in my name, Sandy Sabin, on your ballot for the one-year select board position. If elected, I will keep you, the voters, informed through social media and other platforms about the items on the agenda that may be important to you. I will help address any concerns you want to be brought forward to the select board for consideration. All the actions of the select board should be transparent to you, the voters. Let me become the voice for you, the townspeople of Waterbury.
Please take the time to be an informed voter. This is the link to the Town of Waterbury Annual Report. Also, more information on the WATA Local Option Tax allocation is available in meeting minutes from the select board meetings on Dec. 23, Jan. 20, and Jan. 27 posted on the select board page of the town website.
If you have questions and wish to contact me, my cell phone is 802-249-6709 or e-mail me at sjsabin@hotmail.com.
Sandy Sabin
Waterbury