By Stephen Seitz
posted
Mar 14, 2013
Another year of town meetings is in the books; what
follows is a brief round-up of what happened at some of our
regional contests.
RUTLAND CITY
In Rutland City, incumbent Mayor Christopher Louras won another
two-year term, defeating challenger (and president of the board of
aldermen) David Allaire. Louras garnered 2,032 votes to Allaire's
1,611.
Of the 12 people seeking alderman's seats, the six winners were
Charles A. Romeo, Thomas DePoy, Edward Laarson, Jon Kiernan, John
P. Cassarino and David Wallstrom.
Voters also approved a city budget of $18,666,507 and a school
budget of $47,277,683, and the social service articles passed. A
nonbinding article on the use of chloramine as a secondary
disinfectant in the water supply failed, 1,150 votes for and 2,402
against.
RUTLAND TOWN
Voters had only one contested race to decide, and that was between
Donald J. Chioffi and Chris Kiefer-Cioffi. They chose Donald
Chioffi by 499 votes to 420 for Keifer-Cioffi. While the general
budget of $868,150 passed, the proposed school budget of $8,127,036
failed by just 22 votes: 479 to 457, which means another vote will
have to be scheduled.
WEST RUTLAND
West Rutland saw a three-way race for a three-year term on the
school board, with Francesca Giardi prevailing over challengers
Tony Morgan and Michael Moser. They won 180 votes, 151votes and 98
votes, respectively. Five people, including Moser, competed for a
one-year seat on the board. Tom Callahan took that seat with 216
votes, followed by Blake Cushing (176 votes), Peter Baird (155),
Moser (154) and Maureen Warner-Blackman with 120. The $1,101,006
town budget passed, as did the school budget of $5,497,878. A
$400,000 bond article to improve the bathrooms in the town hall
also passed.
WOODSTOCK
Woodstock passed its town and school budgets ($4,133,755 and
$3,006,254, respectively) on a voice vote at the business meeting
on March 2. In a paper ballot vote at that same meeting, voters
chose to appropriate $60,000 to buy a new digital movie projector
for the town movie theatre, 123 in favor and only 31 against. In
Australian ballot voting on March 5, there were no contested races,
but voters decisively rejected an initiative to hire a part-time
economic development director, with 361 people voting for the idea
and 520 voting against. An article calling on the congressional
delegation to support various gun control measures, such as banning
assault weapons and stronger background checks, won overwhelming
voter approval, with 707 voters backing the idea and only 186
against it.
BRIDGEWATER
Bridgewater still does town meeting the traditional way, with all
discussion and voting occurring on the floor. Voters chose John
Timken to fill the unexpired term of the late Nelson Lee, who had
been a Bridgewater selectman for 20 years. Seth Shaw won a two-year
term on the school board. Voters also approved a town budget of
$708,693, and a school budget of $995,033. The social service
articles all passed, as did a proposal to spend up to $150,000 on a
new town truck.
PLYMOUTH
Plymouth voters saw no contested races, but did choose to eliminate
the auditor's position in favor of using a certified public
accountant. Voters also appropriated $10,000 to find a use for the
now-closed school building.
STOCKBRIDGE, ROCHESTER
The town had a bare-bones warning this year, no contested races,
and the town budget of $809,044 passed. Rochester voters decided to
fund the White River Valley Ambulance in over Valley Rescue.
LUDLOW
The only contested race in Ludlow was for a pair of three-year
seats on the Union #39 school board: Bruce Schmidt, (208 votes) and
Susan Barton (191) defeated Daniel R. Buckley (137). The Union #39
school budget of $3,674,133 passed as well.
