Dear Editor,
The time has come for Killington to move to a five-member Select Board. This change will bring numerous benefits to our community and help us better manage the demands of a growing town.
A five-member board will reduce the need for special meetings by allowing the Select Board to create smaller committees of two members to research and work on special projects.
These committees can then report to the full board for discussion and/or decision.
Currently, any time two members get together, it constitutes a quorum, which requires a special meeting to be warned. This can be cumbersome and inefficient.
Select Board members also serve on the board of civil authority (BCA), working alongside the Justices of the Peace and Town Clerk to conduct elections and hear tax appeals.
During the 2011 Reappraisal, the BCA received over 200 tax appeals. Since 2011, the BCA has consistently received two or more annual tax appeals.
At times, BCA members must recuse themselves due to conflicts of interest, leaving fewer members to handle these responsibilities.
Additionally, BCA members play a crucial role in election night duties, including ballot counting and working as ballot clerks. The more members we have available, the faster and more efficiently we can complete these tasks.
With all the current and future projects contributing to the growth of our town—such as the Killington Road reconstruction, the building of municipal water infrastructure, the development of workforce/affordable housing, and the Six Peaks Ski Village— a five-member board would offer diverse perspectives and better representation for all our residents.
While some have argued that Killington is too small for a five-member board or that it’s difficult to find enough citizens interested in serving, it’s clear that the town’s needs have outgrown these concerns. Killington may only have 1,407 year-round residents (according to the 2020 census), but we also serve thousands of second-home owners. While they may not be able to vote in local elections, they contribute to the town’s needs and deserve strong representation.
A five-member board will provide better service to everyone in Killington.
Please join us on March 4 in voting “Yes” on Article 6.
Thank you,
Ken and Lucrecia Wonsor, Killington
