In a small town in Bennington County neighboring Stratton Mountain, a contentious debate over whether to expand seats in local government came to a resolution Saturday.
Residents voted to uphold the recent vote to increase the Winhall Select Board from three to five members. The measure to reverse the previous vote was rejected by a narrow margin of 76 to 72 at a special meeting May 3.
Winhall residents voted previously by a margin of 42-27 votes to expand the board on Town Meeting Day, but Town Clerk Beth Grant filed a petition signed by 46 residents to rescind that vote and seek a revote soon after. At the time, Grant said more residents should participate in the discussion before solidifying a significant change to the town government.
Julie Isaacs, a current select board member, said there will be a selectboard meeting next Tuesday to set an election date for the two new seats and initiate the process for residents to announce their candidacies.
Isaacs noted the significant increase in participation at the Special Town Meeting compared to Town Meeting Day, with nearly 150 residents in attendance to decide the future of the select board.
“I was really grateful for the turnout. I think the more voices that are heard in a democracy, the better,” Isaacs said. “There were people there that I had never met before, so I was really glad for that, and I hope they continue to come to meetings. I would love to see more involvement in town.”
Winhall resident Nancy Yates said she spoke against rescinding the vote at the meeting because she wants more representation on the board. While reconsideration of the vote is legal, Yates said the democratic process functioned properly on Town Meeting Day and residents felt disenfranchised by the revote.
“We talked about how the first vote was free and fair and had no irregularities, and that this was basically a legal loophole,” Yates said.
Select Board member Bill Schwartz previously told VTDigger in an email he opposed expanding the board at the time the revote was ordered because two select board members would no longer constitute a quorum and would allow two members to discuss town business outside scheduled meetings. That concern was echoed by some residents at Saturday’s special town meeting, which was recorded by Greater Northshire Access Television.
Select board members Schwartz and Stuart Coleman did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Mike Cole — a Winhall resident who started the original petition to expand the board on the Town Meeting Day ballot — said the revote results should bring an end to the debate. Cole said state law does not permit votes to be reconsidered more than once in a year, unless the Legislature votes in favor of a revote.
Jeff Yates, a member of the Winhall Planning Commission, said he is interested in running for one of the new seats.
Grant, the town clerk, also wrote in an email that she intends to run for a newly created seat. Grant said she had already planned to seek a seat on the board at a later date, and has been attending meetings regularly over the past three years to gain insight into the function of the select board.
“I care deeply for the town and would be happy to have another opportunity to serve the residents, as well as visitors to our beautiful area,” Grant wrote in an email.
Planning Commission and Housing Committee member Hannah Gianotti said she hopes an expanded select board will encourage younger residents to step forward as candidates.
“We have an opportunity to build a really strong and resilient Winhall,” Gianotti said. “I just hope that this is the first step in a new chapter for Winhall with more voices.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story included incorrect vote counts.
