St. Paddy’s Day
State champs
Soloists, cellist join Hinesburg Artist Series concert
Girls’ Nordic team wins Division I title
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March 7, 2024
Weekly news coverage for Charlotte and Hinesburg
thecitizenvt.com
Charlotte passes municipal budget Residents vote down town manager petition LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
The looming question of whether Charlotte would switch to a town manager form of government was officially put to rest, at least for now, when residents shot down the move in a 587-799 vote at the polls Tuesday. “We certainly gained recognition of the option for a town manager,” said Lane Morrison, a member of the group that circulated a petition for the switch said, adding the group would consider taking the question up again when there is another retirement in town offices. “But it’s very difficult to overcome the selectboard being against the change in governance.” With more than 1,400 voters turning out on Tuesday, residents approved the town’s municipal budget and other ballot questions while also voting in a fresh face to the selectboard. See CHARLOTTE on page 11
PHOTO BY STEPHANIE MANNING
Melissa Ross, foreground, and Suzie McCoy check in a voter at Charlotte’s Town Meeting on Tuesday.
Hinesburg voters approve budget Incumbent select board members reelected, various spending plans OK’d COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER
Hinesburg voters on Tuesday approved the town’s $5.4 million budget while the two incumbents were reelected to the selectboard. The spending approval means town residents will see a 4.3
percent municipal tax rate increase for fiscal year 2025. It translates into a $25.90 increase per $100,000 of assessed value. In crafting the budget, town officials sought to keep expenses level funded, just as they did last year when developing this current year’s budget.
Merrily Lovell, the chair of the selectboard, said the town worked “diligently with the town manager to reduce costs this year.” “It was actually painful because there many valid requests for increases from many committees and we just level funded expenses whenever it was possible,” she said.
Town residents approved a variety of articles, including the $2,012,928 general government budget (804-593), the $846,806 highway department budget (994-410), the $633,944 police See HINESBURG on page 10
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