I am 33 years old and I have lived in Vermont my entire life. I work with my in-laws and our family here on the Miller Farm, and my wife and I are partners in the “Miller Milk'' branded products you may have seen in stores.
I have always felt as though Vernon is a part of my identity, and since returning, my roots have grown even deeper. My wife and I live in town, work in town, go to church in town, and have invested heavily in our future rooted in this town.
The most pressing issue I see facing Vernon is property tax rates as we continue to transition into a post– Vermont Yankee reality. We need to come together as a community and decide how to balance the services provided by the town with the “new normal” financial constraints and reality facing us since the plant's shutdown.
The top issue I hear about from people in our community is: How do we afford to stay in and maintain our homes with the rising cost of living?...