DUMMERSTON — Walking into the Jan. 7 Selectboard meeting, Michelle Cherrier, the town's representative on the Windham Solid Waste Management District board of supervisors, was prepared to support the draft budget for the solid waste and recycling organization's next fiscal year.
The WSWMD budget was ultimately approved the next day, with representatives of three towns dissenting - including Cherrier.
The budget for the 19-town district - which, much like a public school supervisory union, is a municipal entity charted by state law - includes a 5.6-percent increase in assessments for its 19 member towns.
The increase is attributed to rising workers' compensation insurance rates and the recently enacted Act 148, the state law that mandates that all towns adopt universal recycling and composting.
Cherrier argued that the increase represents the best option offered to residents when compared to the two alternatives: asking WSWMD to meet increased benefit costs by cutting workers' wages, or the town withdrawing from the district entirely.
While the Selectboard overwhelmingly acknowledged the validity of her arguments, Vice Chair Lewis White clarified that a no-vote against the budget should send a message to urge the WSWMD finance committee to investigate a more affordable proposal.
When Selectboard member Joe Cook asked if Cherrier would be obligated to vote as directed by the Selectboard, the meeting grew tense.
“That's the understanding I have,” said Chairman Zeke Goodband, noting that as an appointed official, Cherrier “[can go] rogue on us.”
“We're the ones to reappoint, and if we're asking her to say vote no, and she votes yes, we might say, 'Jeez - we want to find someone else to do the job,'” White said.
“That could happen, but it might not happen,” he added.
Cherrier remained silent throughout the whole conversation.
That night, both the Dummerston and Brattleboro Selectboards asked their respective representatives to WSWMD to reject the proposed budget.
David Schoales serves both as a member of the Brattleboro selectboard and, like Cherrier, represents the town on the WSWMD board, where he voted with the majority despite the official town vote urging him to do otherwise.