Amid a head-splitting world of political clamor, talk of a Vermont Town Meeting full of gentle gaveling and friendly points of order might sound like just the prescription.
Although perhaps not at this week’s gathering in the Addison County outpost of Granville, population 301.
“Oh my gosh, we’ve got fireworks that go off at any time of the day or night, screeching tires with drivers doing donuts, a dirt-bike track, and people who blow up propane tanks just to see how high they can go,” Town Clerk Cheryl Sargeant said of her community.
The local administrator can think of only one thing potentially louder than pedal-to-the-metal or pyrotechnics: the anticipated debate over Article 6: “Shall the town of Granville adopt a noise ordinance?”
“That’s what we’re dealing with,” Sargeant said of the commotion in and outside Town Hall.
Vermonters from Alburgh in the northwest to Vernon in the southeast will add their voices this Town Meeting season — traditionally on or around the first Tuesday in March — as they decide on local government and school spending, leaders, charter changes and advisory articles on topics ranging from all-terrain vehicles to such global conversation drivers as the Gaza conflict.
The state’s 29 municipalities with at least 5,000 people are set to ask voters for nearly $275 million in capital projects — up more than four times as much as the $60 million proposed last year — in a collective wish list heavy with water and sewer plans.
Smaller communities will consider their own wide range of spending, from Canaan’s $10,000 proposal to fund its cemetery commission’s wrought-iron fence project to Tinmouth’s $15,000 plan to buy a vehicle speed monitor to Highgate’s push to reallocate $30,000 in capital improvement money for a zero-turn riding lawn mower.
Individually, such items may seem like small change. But collectively, Vermont cities and towns will cast ballots on what municipal leaders estimate to be three-quarters of a billion dollars for annual operating costs exclusive of capital projects — a total nearly one-third the size of state government’s proposed $2.4 billion general fund budget for the coming fiscal year.
Bonds and big-ticket items
Interviews with local officials show municipal budgets are challenged by everything from inflation to costlier health insurance to continuing 2023 and 2024 cleanup from record rains. But that hasn’t stopped communities from proposing a slew of one-time requests above and beyond their regular spending.
A VTDigger survey of special ballot items shows 85% of the new spending in the state’s 29 biggest municipalities would pay for water and sewer improvements to address old systems, growing storm surges and changes in technology.
In the biggest ask, Burlington will vote on two requests totaling $172 million: $152 million to upgrade the city’s wastewater and stormwater systems to curb Lake Champlain pollution and accommodate more housing, and $20 million to improve the city’s drinking water reservoir, pump station, treatment plant and pipes.
(Burlington also will consider a $20 million bond for other municipal needs, including fire trucks, police cruisers and snow plows; parks projects; and street and sidewalk work.)
Middlebury will weigh three requests totaling $52 million: $49 million to improve its wastewater treatment facility and increase flood protection, $2 million to upgrade its Rogers Road pump station, and $1 million to construct two gravel wetlands at its Adams Acres stormwater treatment area.
St. Albans City will cast ballots on a $4 million plan for an underground Houghton Park storage tank to address wastewater overflow.
Rutland City will ask for $3.8 million to improve water, wastewater and stormwater systems, as well as municipal buildings, streets and sidewalks.
And St. Johnsbury will seek $2.76 million to upgrade its water supply system, specifically around Bay Street.
Vermont’s 218 communities with populations of less than 5,000 have their own slate of water and sewer proposals.
Killington will vote on a $11.2 million bond for water system upgrades, as well as $490,000 for Town Hall renovations.
Proctor will consider a $5.4 million plan to enhance its wastewater treatment plant.
Chester will weigh spending $2.98 million for a new wastewater pump station, $1.14 million to purchase a solar photovoltaic generation facility located on town property, and $524,000 for a road grader and paving.
And West Rutland will cast ballots on $2.3 million in fixes to its wastewater treatment facility.
Cities and towns aren’t limiting their capital proposals to water and sewer needs, with several other requests carrying individual price tags of $1 million or more.
Swanton will vote on a $8.3 million building to house the Swanton Village Electric Department. (Only taxpayers in the central village, and not the surrounding town, will be deciding and directly responsible for the bond).
Ludlow will consider $3.6 million for two new fire trucks, while Montpelier will weigh a $2.2 million request for a new aerial ladder vehicle.
South Hero will ask for $2.87 million for a new town office building.
Shelburne will cast ballots on a $1.4 million plan to improve its Town Center and historic Town Hall and add police and highway vehicles and ambulance equipment.
And Vergennes will seek $1.2 million to buy two used fire trucks and upgrade radio and safety systems.
As for education, several communities will vote on school building plans.
Milton will consider $8 million in improvements to its elementary and middle schools.
Sharon will ask for $7.1 million to expand its elementary school.
And Bethel and Royalton will seek $6.17 million for additions and improvements to its White River Unified School District buildings.
Local option taxes, leaders and charter changes
Several municipalities will weigh proposals to reap more revenue.
At least a dozen communities are calling for new or expanded local option taxes, joining a list that now includes more than 30 Vermont cities and towns.
Voters will cast ballots on adding a 1% tax on some combination of sales, rooms, meals and alcohol in Bethel, Hartford, Ludlow, Marlboro, Montgomery, Montpelier, Putney, Royalton, Springfield, Westmore and Whitingham.
Middlebury is seeking to continue its time-limited 1% local tax on rooms, meals, alcohol and sales in perpetuity.
And Bennington will weigh authorizing the option of a 1% local tax on non-owner-occupied short-term rentals.
At least three towns — Concord, Fairfax and Hinesburg — will vote on joining the current 78 Vermont communities that have authorized local retail sales of cannabis since the state granted approval in 2020, while Wilmington will consider limiting the number of such businesses.
Of the eight Vermont municipalities with mayors, three will hold elections for the office.
In Rutland City, Mayor Mike Doenges will face former city clerk and alderman Henry Heck.
In Newport City, Rick Ufford-Chase, a city councilor and executive director of Newport Downtown Development, is the sole announced candidate for the seat being vacated by Mayor Linda Joy Sullivan.
And in Vergennes, Mayor Chris Bearor is running unopposed for reelection.
Several communities are proposing changes to their local charters — the first step in a process that requires state legislative approval.
Burlington will vote on prohibiting firearms in any place with a first-class liquor license, as well as authorizing the city to regulate changes and termination of rental terms, including special notice requirements for tenants who are elderly or with disabilities or low incomes.
Winooski will consider whether the city should protect residential tenants from evictions without “just cause.”
And Bennington will weigh allowing noncitizens with legal residency status and all youth ages 16 and up to vote in local elections.
In other ballot questions:
Essex Town will seek to increase the tax for its capital reserve fund from 3 to 5 cents per $100 of assessed property value.
Rockingham and its villages of Bellows Falls and Saxtons River will vote on a plan to create a single municipal fire and rescue department.
Springfield will ask to transfer an acre parcel on Southridge Street to the local housing authority for market-rate development.
And Fairfax will vote on a citizen-petitioned article to rescind its town manager form of governance.
As for advisory articles, the question of permitting all-terrain vehicles on local roads will be considered in Danby, Fletcher, Highgate and Orwell.
A nonbinding survey about exploring the option of closing a building in the Quarry Valley School District will be offered in Poultney, Proctor and West Rutland.
Brattleboro will weigh advisory articles calling for a local vote before the state could create a safe injection site in town; ordinances regulating downtown behavior and recouping costs from property owners who require a “high level” of police response; and a reduction in human services funding that’s now 2% of municipal spending.
Brattleboro also will join Montpelier, Newfane, Thetford, Vergennes and Winooski in considering a citizen-petitioned call to join an apartheid-free.org pledge for “freedom, justice, and equality for the Palestinian people and all people.”
Other municipal matters, voting variations
Although historic flooding in 2023 and 2024 is long past, dozens of Vermont communities are reporting a temporary torrent of budget red ink as they wait to see if the Federal Emergency Management Agency will uphold past promises to cover 75% to 90% of cleanup costs.
Bridgewater, still lacking reimbursement for about half of its $6 million in damage, will vote on a plan to refinance existing loans at a lower interest rate while it waits for potential federal funds.
Royalton will consider flood hazard regulations that limit development of areas at risk.
Windham will weigh updating its inventory of local culverts that channel increasing amounts of stormwater.
And more than two dozen municipalities are seeking approval to set up reserve fund accounts that let them bank money for specific purposes long-term. Plainfield, whose estimated $1 million in flood damage totals about 10% of its assessed property value, is set to consider the most accounts, at six, including ones for disasters, recreation and public arts projects, sidewalks, bridges, culverts and village expansion.
Although most Vermont communities have set votes on local government matters on or around March 4, several have different schedules.
Barre City and Barre Town will cast school ballots in March but wait on municipal questions until May 13.
The city of Essex Junction, as per custom and charter, will decide local issues on April 8.
And Brattleboro will choose municipal leaders on March 4 and consider money articles at its Representative Town Meeting on March 22.
Election clerks advise Vermonters to check their community’s voting times and places, as some are casting municipal and school ballots on different days to accommodate local traditions and larger education districts.
Read the story on VTDigger here: VTDigger’s 2025 Guide to Vermont Town Meeting voting.