Here are some other results that did not make it into our Town Meeting Roundup in the March 8 edition:
• After a lengthy debate, Rockingham voters approved spending $6,000 for a part-time contract with the Windham County Sheriff's Department to patrol Bartonsville and other rural sections of the town.
• Voters in Jamaica and Londonderry both approved 1% local option taxes, while Halifax opted to pass on making a decision.
According to the Department of Taxes, 49 Vermont municipalities have imposed a 1% local-option tax on meals and alcohol, rooms, or sales. In fiscal year 2022, the 44 municipalities that had such taxes raised $39.91 million from them.
Brattleboro and Wilmington assess the 1% tax on rooms, meals, alcohol, and retail sales, excluding shoes and clothing. Towns with a local option tax keep 70% of the revenue, while the state gets the remainder.
In Jamaica, voters chose by a floor vote to impose 1% taxes on rooms, meals and alcohol. Selectboard Chair Greg Meulemans estimated that the new taxes would raise about $25,000 a year. Despite an estimate that a 1% general sales tax would have raised an additional $30,000, voters turned down that option by 47-23 vote.
• In Londonderry, voters, by a floor vote in the old Town Hall, chose to impose a 1% local tax on rooms. Voters also approved an initiative to join Winhall, Landgrove, Weston, and Peru in sharing the $95,386 cost for the salary and benefits of a Mountain Towns Recreation Director. The participating towns agreed to pay assessments proportional to their respective populations.
• In Putney, Nate Snell defeated Bryce Hodson, 233-70, for a two-year seat on the Selectboard. Snell replaces Josh Laughlin, who stepped down after 17 years on the board.
Peg Alden was unopposed for a three-year seat on the board; she received 290 votes.
• Voters in the Bellows Falls Union High School towns of Athens, Grafton, Rockingham, and Westminster all approved a $7.6 million budget for the 2023-24 school year, and OK'ed two special bond issues totaling $4 million.
• Newfane passed its budgets and re-elected incumbent Selectboard members Jeff Chevalier and Katy Johnson-Aplin.
• Townshend voters gave pay raises to Town Hall assistants but declined to raise the salary of the town treasurer.
• Vernon approved a $2,214,819 town budget and elected Jean Carr and Brandon Bucossi to the Selectboard.
• Darcie Sprague was the winner of the write-in vote for Grafton's representative on the BFUHS board. It was the only contest on the ballot.
Grafton's voters will be reconvening for a Special Town Meeting on April 3 at 5:30 p.m. at the Town Hall to discuss tax exemption status for parcels of land belonging to the Grafton Museum of Natural History and Grafton Firefighters Association.
• In Dummerston, Alex Wilson defeated Mark Kracum, 329-82, for a two-year seat on the Selectboard.
Incumbent Maria Glabach was unopposed for the three-year seat.