One challenger in Select Board elections; voters face fiscal issues at Town Meeting
Cynthia Prairie | Jan 31, 2013 | Comments 3
Just one non-incumbent is seeking a seat on the Chester Select Board, where three of the five terms are up for election: one 3-year term held by Bill Lindsay and two one-year seats held by Tom Bock and Arne Jonynas. Newcomer Tami Ravlin, a 40-year-old lifelong resident of Chester, is hoping to win a one-year term.
Last year, former state Rep. Kathy Pellett sought a one-year term but lost to Jonynas by just a handful of votes. Also seeking election are:
- Bill Dakin for town moderator and for Chester Town school district moderator.
- No one is standing for lister for a 3-year term although Deborah Trent is standing for an unexpired one-year term.
- John DeBenedetti is seeking the post of town grand juror.
- Joanne DeBenedetti is standing for agent to defend suits.
- Phyllis Jewett is seeking a three-year term as auditor.
- Erron Carey is seeking a three-year post of trustee of public funds.
- Seeking three-year terms to the Board of Trustees of the Whiting Library are Mariette Bock and David Lord; and seeking to fill an unexpired one-year term is Kathy Pellett.
- Mariette Bock is also seeking to fill one of four open positions on the Budget Committee. The other slots are open.
- For school positions, Alison DesLauriers is seeking a three-year term as director of Green Mountain High School and a three-year term as Chester Town school director;
- Jacob Arace and Jeffrey Hance are seeking three-year terms as directors for Chester-Andover Elementary School and Marilyn Mahusky is seeking to become CAES director in an unexpired two-year seat.
Polls will be open on the 2nd floor of Town Hall, 556 Elm. St. in Chester from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 5.
During Town Meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. Monday, March 4, voters will decide on a number of articles including Chester Town School District items and a Chester Town government spending measure totaling $540,000 for: a new dump truck ($128,406); a new grader ($250,000); sidewalk replacement ($60,000); $44,000 for a new police cruiser; $20,000 for upgrades to the Whiting Library; $19,100 for a fire truck pump rebuild; $7,500 for Town Hall upgrades; $6,500 for a cemetery survey and $4,500 for a pool lift.
Other Fiscal Articles to be Voted on at Town Meeting
| Article 5 | $8,649 for the Springfield Regional Development Corp.; |
| Article 6 | $13,807 to help the Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice of VT and NH for home health including maternal and child and hospice care; |
| Article 7 | $3,044 for Health Care and Rehabilitation Services Inc. for outpatient mental health and substance abuse services; |
| Article 8 | $2,500 for Southeastern Vermont Community Action for emergency community needs for Chester; |
| Article 9 | $1,200 for to support services to the elderly through SeniorSolutions - the Council on Aging for Southeastern VT; |
| Article 10 | $2,250 for Connecticut River Transit; |
| Article 11 | $2,700 for Meals on Wheels; |
| Article 12 | $800 for Windsor County Partners for youth mentoring; |
| Article 13 | $400 for Green Mountain RSVP to develop opportunities for people over the age of 55; |
| Article 14 | $1,800 for Community Cares Network of Chester & Andover to help seniors stay in their homes; and |
| Article 15 | $3,000 for the Chester-Andover Family Center to aid those in need. |
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I agree with this comment and am concerned that the PD is asking for money for things that we don’t need or use, like the radar speed sign that we bought after last Town Meeting and hasn’t been used for the last six months.
I’m trying to find prices on dump trucks. I don’t know anything about “boy toys”
other than they are useful to big strong men.But, with sequestration looming, and sequestration threats to Head Start children, etc. maybe $128,406 is too much at the moment for a dump truck? How about a used dump truck, just to keep the little ones going to Head Start?
$44K for another monster police SUV…please! Assuming Ludlow traded in their old one, they just got a new Explorer for $16K. Please attend town meeting and tell our town officials to stop wasting our money…especially on a vehicle that is absurdly oversized and inefficient for the job it does.