Dear Editor, I want to extend my sincere congratulations to Bill Vines and Jay Hickory on their election to the Killington Select Board. Their longstanding ties to our community and steady approach clearly resonated with voters. I wish them both success as they begin their terms on the expanded board. Although I was not elected,…

Dear Editor, Editor’s note: This letter was originally posted by the office of the Mountain Views School District Superintendent on Saturday, May 31. It is the second letter to the school community Superintendent Sherry Sousa has sent regarding H.454, the education funding reform bill. I’m again turning to you to become involved with the education…

By Mike Pieciak, Vermont Treasurer Let me start as directly as I can: I’m sorry, Canada. You didn’t elect our president, but you’re paying the price for his policies. In Vermont, we’re feeling the consequences too. Trump’s reckless tariffs are more than economic burdens; they’re straining relationships that have taken decades to build. They’re making…

Dear Editor, Someone should advocate for a town auditor given the constant rumors of ethical lapses and financial irregularities. Vito Rasenas, Killington

Dear Editor, All of this school spending, better referred to as overspending, is now coming home to roost. Had there been corresponding results in outcomes, there may have been different mindsets to be under discussion. Remember now, the voters went to the polls and spoke loudly and clearly on the education money issues that are…

By David F. Kelley Editor’s Note: David Kelley is a Vermont attorney. He lives in Greensboro and is a former chair of the Hazen Union School Board. He was part of the legal team that represented more than two dozen rural elementary school districts that appealed forced mergers under Act 46. The road to education…

Dear Editor, As a candidate for the Killington Select Board, I’m running on a commitment to transparency, accountability, and steady leadership. I believe that trust in local government begins with clear standards and clear enforcement. Killington’s current conflict of interest policy, adopted in 2019, provides a useful foundation. However, it lacks the tools to ensure…

Dear Editor, Editor’s note: This is an open letter directed to the Windsor Southeast Supervisory Union (WSESU) communities dated May 19. Similar letters were sent out by many superintendents and school officials including Sherry Sousa at Mountain Views SU in Woodstock.  As you may know, the Vermont House and the Senate have been working on…

Dear Editor, Since I announced my candidacy, many residents have spoken to me about their concerns for Killington. Taxes and education funding, for example, are often mentioned. Not surprisingly, everyone agrees that taxes need to be controlled and education funding needs to be solved. Virtually everyone has spoken to me about how the town is…

By Angelo Lynn Editor’s note: Angelo Lynn is the publisher of the Addison Independent, a sister publication of the Mountain Times.  On Thursday, May 15, the Senate Finance Committee gave H.454, the Legislature’s revised school funding bill, its final review and sent it to the full Senate to vote on this week. House and Senate…

Dear Editor, I read the Select Board candidates’ answers in the latest issue of the Mountain Times, and I’d like to address the conflict-of-interest question further. My comments are not specifically directed at any particular candidate or candidates or even the current Select Board or other town board or commission members. Each current candidate has…

Dear editor, During his first campaign, Donald Trump complained that people were mounting a “witch hunt” against him, relying on the conventional implication that the quarry doesn’t exist and the hunt is futile and fruitless. But those were conventional times. Who was prepared for the ways that Donald Trump stands reality on its head? Trump’s…

By Sen. Nader Hashim and Rep. Martin LaLonde Editor’s note: Senator Hashim is the chair of the state Senate Judiciary Committee and Rep. LaLonde is chair of the state House Judiciary Committee. When floodwaters tore through Vermont in July 2023 and again exactly a year later, they left more than physical destruction in their wake.…

A cohort of Vermont’s social service providers has embarked on an editorial campaign challenging the House’s recent legislation that would disrupt the status quo of homeless services funding administration. Angus Chaney, executive director of Rutland’s Homeless Prevention Center (HPC), appears to be the author of the editorial and is joined by about a dozen fellow…

By Brian Cina Editor’s note: Brian Cina is a VermontState Representative for Chittenden-15. Cina is a clinical social worker with a full-time therapy practice and is a part-time crisis clinician. State-sanctioned punishment and violence perpetuate harm under the guise of accountability, justice, and public safety. Since 2017, Governor Phil Scott has pushed for new prisons…