Dear Editor, Why do so many school ‘new build’ supporters voice a message that suggests that voting for the current plan on the ballot equals caring about, and supporting children’s future, while not supporting this specific plan is not? Every non-supporter of the building bond that I know simply feels that this specific build is…

Dear Editor, I wanted to thank the community for giving me the platform to address the current issues in Killington. I am running for a seat on the Killington Select Board against Jim Haff, but I believe that it’s the system we are fighting against the most. We are constantly battling higher taxes, more local…

Dear Editor, Kudos to the KPAA for a well run debate between Select Board candidates Jim Haff and Andrew Gieda. Both candidates met the difficult challenge of standing up and speaking their mind before their fellow citizens, no easy feat, and moderator Mike Coppinger kept them on track. I was disappointed when the issue of…

Dear Editor, My initial response to the proposed Woodstock MS/HS bond and build was, “$99 million is a lot of money and what is Plan B?” I am a teacher at Mountain Views Supervisory Union. I strongly believe in public education. As an educator, I decided to learn more about this hot topic in our…

By Tom Pelham  This commentary is by Tom Pelham of Berlin, who was finance commissioner in the Dean administration and tax commissioner in the Douglas administration and served on the Appropriations Committee in the Vermont House as an Independent. In February 1997, Vermont’s Supreme Court found “the current system for funding public education in Vermont,…

Dear Editor, We are community members who work locally to provide medical care for the entire range of our population from newborn babies to seniors in their 90s and 100s. We feel privileged to work in and for the greater Woodstock community. We’d like to share our perspective on the proposed new middle and high…

Dear Editor, I join my friends and neighbors to vote “Yes” on Article 7, the new school bond. I was initially skeptical but changed my mind for several reasons. The new school is a bargain. It will cost less than maintaining the old one, which is already inadequate and beyond repair, and it will cost…

Dear Editor, In recent discussions surrounding the upcoming bond vote for our local school district [Mountain Views Supervisory Union], a significant amount of information has been shared. However, some of it may not fully capture the situation’s complexity. This letter aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of the key issues at hand, focusing on…

Dear Editor, Vermont’s school financing system is incredibly complex, and that means it can be difficult to make a decision that you feel good about. No one wants to spend money if it’s not essential. The question is, how do we know what’s essential and what’s not? It’s not an easy thing to answer. The…

Dear Editor, As a full-time Killington resident, here are three reasons why I’m voting for the new school build. First, the time is now. As others have indicated in previous letters, seven years of school boards have been working on this project. Over the course of that time, volunteer school board members, community members, and…

Dear Editor, In regards to building a new middle school/high school, many are asking how we can all work together to meet the needs of our students now and in the future, as well as take into consideration the concerns of taxpayers who may already be at their financial limits. Here are several ideas on…

Dear Editor, My name is Elizabeth Wellington and I live in South Pomfret. My husband grew up in the Upper Valley and we moved here to raise a family in this community. I’m voting YES for our new Woodstock middle/high school. As a relative newcomer to our area, it’s been a joy to discover each…

By Sarah Copeland Hanzas Editor’s note: Sarah Copeland Hanzas is Vermont’s 39th Secretary of State. She was a teacher, coach, small business owner and an 18-year member of the Vermont House before being elected as Secretary of State in 2022. As Vermont’s Secretary of State and Chief Elections Officer, it’s my job to help sustain and defend…

By Curt Peterson When Select Board candidate Andrew Gieda confronted current board members about Killington’s personal property tax at a recent public meeting, it garnered attention. Gieda claimed a large percentage of eligible Killington businesses were not filing their “personal property tax” reports, and that the self-reporting process encouraged filers to minimize their obligation. He…

  It was widely known that putting together the next state budget was going to be tight. All the extra federal money that came to Vermont during the pandemic, has previously been appropriated and state revenue growth has slowed. The governor’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2025 (beginning July 1, 2024) had an overall increase…