Graphic illustration by Juli Badics / UVM '21
NEWS
Waterbury voters approved the town’s $6.35 million budget, decided a four-way race for select board, and opted to continue the tradition of in-person town meetings during Town Meeting Day on Tuesday, March 4.
For over 200 years, Waterbury residents have gathered every first Tuesday of March to discuss key town issues. This year, however, a major conversation put the norm in jeopardy.
The Harwood Unified Union School Board is seeking to fill two vacant seats from Waterbury and one vacant seat from Duxbury.
BARRE — Ballots cast on Town Meeting Day in the 18-town school district that operates the Central Vermont Career Center were finally tabulated Thursday, and its regional board now has a budget and three vacant seats to fill, even as it weighs when to ask voters to approve a bond for a new, state-of-the-art facility.
Voters across the Harwood Unified Union School District overwhelmingly approved the $49.2 million proposed school budget for the coming year and adding $500k to the Maintenance Reserve fund. News of staffing cuts required by the new budget is expected later this month.
With a turnout over 32%, Duxbury voters cast their ballots in their Town Meeting Day drive-through, overwhelmingly passing their budget but coming up short of enough candidates to fill all of the openings this year.
Voters in Duxbury head to the polls Tuesday at the town office drive-through loop to vote on all town and school Town Meeting Day questions. The $1.3 million town budget carries a 12% increase and candidates for selectboard, school board and more are in short supply.
When Waterbury residents gather on Tuesday for Town Meeting, they will act on a conversation that’s been at least three years in the making. They will have the chance to debate and then vote on whether they will continue their tradition of in-person town meetings in the future.
Tonight is the Harwood Unified Union School District's annual meeting and final informational session pertaining to the proposed 2025-26 budget that is on the ballot in all six district communities tomorrow.
Most towns in Vermont struggle to convince young people to run for office, but that’s not the case with Waterbury’s Select Board where three of its five members are millennials and three of the five candidates on Tuesday’s ballot are under 35.
Waterbury Roundabout caught up with the five candidates for Waterbury Select Board. We asked them to tell voters a little about themselves and share their thoughts on some of the top issues they are likely to encounter if elected. Here are their answers.
As Town Meeting Day approaches, the list of contenders for the three open seats on the Waterbury Select Board has grown to five while candidates for school board seats remain in short supply. The future of in-person town meetings is also up for a vote.
Town Meeting in Moretown will get a little head start this year with its informational meeting moved up to Feb. 18 to give voters a chance to get acquainted with the various items of business that they will decide on March 4.
Waterbury town officials have decided to follow neighboring Duxbury’s lead when it comes to drumming up wider participation for Town Meeting. Both communities will have “Citizens Have Your Say Day” meetings on Saturday, Jan. 11; Waterbury a second one on Jan. 13.
OPINION
State Reps. Dara Torre and Candice White share their Town Meeting Day report with constituents highlighting work at the State House so far this session.
We want to thank all our voters for voting on Town Meeting Day, and for supporting the budget.
State Reps. Tom Stevens and Theresa Wood will be making the rounds on Town Meeting Day. Here is their joint report to constituents highlighting work at the State House so far this session.
It is my firm belief that this can-do spirit and visible community engagement sit atop a foundation of the good people in this state and the centuries of traditions from which we benefit.
For the past decade, the Waterbury Area Trail Alliance has tirelessly championed our town, our incredible outdoor recreation resources and their positive impacts on the economy.
After having followed the school budget process somewhat for the past two years, here are a few of my observations.
The financial pressures facing our education system are unsustainable, and the cracks are becoming impossible to ignore. If HUUSD cannot afford to educate our students, then we need to acknowledge that consolidation must be explored seriously.
If you consider education spending within the larger context of the financial condition of our communities, state and nation, should we really be looking at increasing education spending? Or should we consider a freeze on spending and insist that our legislature and school districts find ways to do things a lot differently?
Providing clear, understandable data to support one's position might be called full transparency. In my opinion, our state education system, requirements, and formulas can stagger the mind and hide – perhaps even misrepresent – a lot of relevant information.
I attended the Jan. 22 Harwood School Board meeting. It allows a total of 15 min. for public comment before the board begins discussion of business. I wanted to share my comments in full with the community at large.
We write to ask you to consider supporting the school district budget on or before Town Meeting Day, Tuesday, March 4.
I would like to submit for readers comments that I presented to the Harwood Unified Union School Board at their Jan. 8 meeting. The text follows.