Avery Schwenk Withdraws Selectboard Candidacy

by cgrotke | Politics | 1854 Views

A brief message from Hilary Francis, Town Clerk in Brattleboro:

“Avery Schwenk has withdrawn his candidacy for the one year Selectboard seat.”

Comments | 13

  • Submitted by Timmy on February 7, 2017 at 4:39 pm

    That's a shame

    I was looking forward to having Avery with us at the candidates forums, and more local choices is always a good thing.

    • Submitted by aschwenk on February 7, 2017 at 6:53 pm

      I'm hopeful!

      Thanks!
      Part of what guided my decision was knowing that there are some other stellar candidates willing to step up to do the hard work of the Select Board.

  • Submitted by aschwenk on February 7, 2017 at 6:51 pm

    Thanks for the ongoing support!

    I wanted to confirm as of this afternoon, I’ve withdrawn my Select Board candidacy. It was a tough decision for which I consulted my friends, family, and business partners, but it came down to a decision between moving forward with securing a Brattleboro Town Loan for Hermit Thrush Brewery’s expansion project, or running for this position. I am heartened by the strength of the candidates, and the knowledge that I will maintain an active presence in Town affairs and regional economic development moving forward, and will continue to offer my opinion, advice, or insight to anyone interested. Be well, and thanks for the support!

    Cheers
    Avery

    • Submitted by Tad M on February 8, 2017 at 5:13 am

      Conflict?

      Avery –

      Was it to avoid a conflict of interest regarding the loan and serving on the selectboard?

      Does this mean you now have time to play bridge? Don’t forget the no-trump option, and its implications.

      • Submitted by aschwenk on February 8, 2017 at 9:35 am

        Basically this, yes. And

        Basically this, yes.

        And maybe, no promises. No Trump is always a good choice when you’ve got the cards!

        • Submitted by Tad M on February 8, 2017 at 6:20 pm

          Aaah,

          I’m sorry to hear this. Not about the bridge, nor about the no-trump. But about the ‘basically, yes.’ Are you certain that there wasn’t a simple remedy, or cure, like recusing oneself from specific deliberations? Perhaps it’s too late to reconsider, but if you can I would urge you to. This is why we have lawyers.

        • Submitted by Tad M on February 10, 2017 at 8:25 am

          Question Answered

          I just talked with asst. town clerk Jane and Kim in the town finance office. The issue is that the town’s small business loan program explicitly precludes people in the office that oversees the program (Selectboard) and town employees from taking out loans. Or maybe it’s visa versa. I asked if this language also precludes loans to people holding other offices in town, or sitting on other town committees. Kim said that she would look into this. So it looks like Avery cannot run for Selectboard as long as Hermit Thrush has a loan out through this program.

          Bummer.

          • Submitted by cgrotke on February 10, 2017 at 8:34 am

            Huh?

            But the loan is already taken out, granted by another board. He wasn’t in office when it was taken out.

            No conflict at all, as no decision to grant this loan will be made by the next board, right?

          • Submitted by Tad M on February 10, 2017 at 9:40 am

            The Language

            Here is the language contained in the agreement:

            “Representatives and employees of Borrower will not seek or hold office in the Town of Brattleboro which has direct control over the Small Business Assistance Program (SBAP) or the Rental Housing Improvement Program (RHIP) while this Agreement is in effect.

            In addition, representatives and employees of the Borrower will not become employed by the Town of Brattleboro while this Agreement is in effect.”

            from Kim Ellison

          • Submitted by cgrotke on February 10, 2017 at 10:11 am

            Ahhh

            “while in effect”… That would prevent it. Thanks!

            So did someone tell him he couldn’t run? Who noticed this first?

            This is the first time this has come up that I know of.

  • Submitted by annikee on February 7, 2017 at 8:03 pm

    Next year!

    Thanks for throwing your hat in the ring anyway. Having good candidates is encouraging. And there’s next year!

  • Submitted by KAlden on February 8, 2017 at 4:57 am

    I'm sorry to see you go - I

    I’m sorry to see you go – I was looking forward to voting for you!
    Good luck with your business – it’s a great addition to the town.

  • Submitted by Vidda on February 10, 2017 at 9:53 am

    The candidate who withdrew

    It’s interesting that 470 views of this article is about an article of a candidate who withdrew his candidacy. See you next time, Avery?

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