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August 3, 2023
Weekly news coverage for Charlotte and Hinesburg
Town manager petition revised LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
Residents seeking to move to a town manager form of government in Charlotte are forging ahead even after learning that state statute requires a town manager to also be the town’s road commissioner — an elected position that has been held by resident Hugh Lewis Jr. for more than 25 years. Resident and former Shelburne town manager Lee Krohn first raised the issue in a report he was hired to compile outlining the pros and cons of switching from a town administrator to town manager. The news has forced
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petitioners to reexamine how they plan to move forward. According to Charlotte Rep. Chea Waters Evans, to keep the road commissioner an elected position, a town charter would have to be created. “In Vermont, we have what’s called Dillon’s Rule, which basically means that every town’s power over their own governance is granted to them by the state,” she said. To keep an elected road commissioner, the town “would need to create a charter specifically for the town that lays out See PETITION on page 13
Hinesburg plans central community gathering space COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER
A newly formed committee hopes to take an unused patch of lawn behind the town’s police and fire stations and turn it into a central community gathering space. If the town’s vision comes to fruition, what is now a mowed grassy lawn could in a few years become a place where neighbors meet for lunch or where families bring their kids to play. The plans, in the making for years, would feature a pavilion for events, a natural playground area for kids and walking paths with entry points
from the street — plus lots of trees. “Community is the glue that holds people together. The more opportunities there are for people to jump in and take part, whether those are events or just meeting people on the trails, that’s the glue,” selectboard member Maggie Gordon said. “I’m really invested in having spaces where people can do that — can bump into each other, can talk to each other, can talk to people that you wouldn’t normally talk with.” “We’ve never had a public gathering space, and this is our See HINESBURG on page 13
PHOTO BY AL FREY
Champlain Valley’s Max Strauss swipes second during the 10-12 Little League championship finals at Burlington’s Schifilliti Park on Saturday. .The All Stars lost to St. Johnsbury 8-5 in the Little League championship Sunday, a rain-delayed end to the season. See story on page 11.