The Brattleboro Selectboard has drafted and is considering adopting and mailing the following “Fact Sheet” related to the proposed Charter changes on the upcoming March ballot. The mailing to all residences will cost under $3000.
Below you’ll find an attachment that included the draft text being considered, as it appeared in the Selectboard meeting materials for their February 17 meeting, to be held later tonight. If approved, you will also get a copy in the mail.
Fail
Well, their points oddly make an excellent argument for eliminating RTM in favor of traditional Vermont Town Meeting. At least, if Brattleboro doesn’t want to be “antidemocratic” and “out of step with the rest of Vermont.”
But the piece is so full of overt propaganda (“But the town can’t collect taxes from these people who work and shop here”) that it’s likely to flip most people’s baloney-dar switch.
Draft
They’ll be sending out the final, revised version sometime today. It will be slightly different.
RTM really seems to need work or dismantling. Townsfolk seem split on whether it should be polished and improved, or replaced, but no one (other than Kurt) is taking any action at this point.
If I ran the circus, I’d hold some public meetings in the summer to discuss the merits of retaining or replacing RTM. Take the community pulse on the issue, and see if anyone can come up with a better way to get town business done fairly and effectively.
Before the current SB were SB
Before the current SB were SB members they were ordinary citizens who made decisions on how to vote every year. Actually I’m assuming they voted.
It appears they have the impression that since becoming SB members they have been infused with this over whelming gift of smarts that the ordinary citizens doesn’t have.
Well they’re wrong and we can make our own decisions thank you!
ps: An unofficial, open get together off site with Kurt and 1 or 2 SB members expressing their opinions with all in attendance able to discuss this issue would have been so much better than what this SB has done.