Williston
ECRWSS PRSRT STD US Postage
PAID
Permit #15 Williston,VT 05495 POSTAL CUSTOMER
MARCH 9, 2023
WILLISTON’S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1985
WWW.WILLISTONOBSERVER.COM
Razor thin margin spurs recount
Candidates Erin Henderson, Tim Allard and Ellie Beckett campaign outside the National Guard Armory on Tuesday during Town Meeting Day.
OBSERVER PHOTOS BY JASON STARR
Isham wins selectboard seat; Beckett requests recount BY JASON STARR Observer staff
Three votes separated Mike Isham and Ellie Beckett in their Town Meeting Day contest for a seat on the Williston Selectboard. In results confirmed by Town Clerk Sarah Mason on Wednesday morning, Isham received 772 votes to Beckett’s 769, winning the one remaining year on the board seat vacated in December by Gordon St. Hilaire. Beckett promptly requested a recount. “They are two really good people who are devoted to Williston,” Lynn McClintock said after casting her ballot Tuesday afternoon at the National Guard Armory next to
Town Hall. “They are both dedicated, but they each have a different approach.” Mason did not have an estimate when the recount would be completed. Isham is confident the result will not change. “I trust the system, I think the votes are 100 percent accurate,” he said. “It was a close race. My hat is off to Ellie. She is a bright young woman. “It’s a real honor and a privilege,” Isham continued, “and I’m humbled to represent rural Williston and all of Williston. I’ve got a lot to learn. This is not something to go in and make a lot of big changes, I know. I’m going to do my best.” In other results Tuesday, voters approved the town budget for the upcoming fiscal year, a bond to pay for a new ambulance and the purchase of solar panels atop the
Town Meeting Day results TOWN BUDGET Yes: 1,002; No: 450 SELECTBOARD SEAT Isham: 772; Beckett: 769
SOLAR PANEL PURCHASE Yes: 1,128; No: 328 AMBULANCE BOND Yes: 1,147; No: 315 SCHOOL BUDGET Yes: 3,084; No: 1,673 town’s public works facility. Voters also returned a group of uncontested incumbents to their positions:
Terry Macaig (selectboard), Mason (town clerk), Linda Levitt (lister), Charity Clark (library trustee) and Liz Royer (Champlain Water District representative). Also elected was Jeanne Jensen, who ran uncontested for the selectboard seat relinquished by Jeff Fehrs after 25 years on the board. Meanwhile, Erin Henderson won a seat on the Champlain Valley School Board with 1,282 votes, holding off a write-in campaign from Tim Allard, who received 105 votes. Williston voters joined voters in Hinesburg, Charlotte, Shelburne and St. George in supporting the Champlain Valley School District annual budget and the purchase of three new school buses. Joining Henderson as new members of the school board are Meghan Siket (Charlotte), Cassandra Townshend (Hinesburg) and Dave Connery
BAM BAM BURGER, Anyone? #getblissbee
LaPlatte Beef, Pickled Jalapenos, BBQ Sauce, Crispy Onion
(Shelburne). In all, 1,588 Williston residents turned out to vote, with 460 voting early by mailed ballot and 1,128 voting in person Tuesday. There are about 8,700 registered voters in Williston. “I always vote,” Rob McIlwaine said after casting his town and school ballots. “I’m a government teacher and I teach my students that it’s a civic privilege and a responsibility to vote and you should because you can — you have the right to and the freedom to.” Fehrs was recognized for his quarter-century of service on the board with a presentation and applause on Monday night, when voters gathered at the Williston Central School auditorium for the town’s Annual Meeting — the first in-person Annual Meeting since 2020. see TOWN MEETING page 3
Real Food, Real Easy Williston & South Burlington
GetBlissBee.com