I have lived in Essex for over 21 years, drawn by the appeal of a rural lifestyle that is still close to urban amenities. I believe Essex is perfectly situated to take advantage of this unique geographic setting.
My involvement in local politics began with the Village/Town Merger effort. I successfully advocated for a fair governance model known as the 3+3 to facilitate a successful merger. This ballot question received overwhelming support from the entire Town, but unfortunately, the VT legislature did not include it in the merger charter, leading to the merger vote failing twice.
More recently, I collaborated with other town residents to place two questions on the annual meeting ballot: one to require the listing of Town employee salaries in the annual report, similar to practices in other municipalities, and another to disclose any tax reduction incentives given to commercial taxpayers. Both measures passed overwhelmingly, reflecting my strong belief in government transparency.
This year, I worked with a team of six fellow Town residents to propose a question on the Annual Meeting ballot aimed at reducing the size of our Development Review Board from seven to five members, thereby minimizing the overlap with the Planning Commission. I believe in maintaining a separation of powers. It is unwise for those who write regulations to also serve as judges for development applications.