WOODSTOCK — Woodstock officials will hold a recount after residents rejected adding a 1% local option sales tax by a margin of nine votes during Town Meeting last Tuesday.
The recount was requested by a resident, Woodstock Town Clerk F. Charles Degener III said Monday. It will take place at 9 a.m. Thursday in a conference room at Town Hall, which is located at 31 the Green. The recount will be overseen by Woodstock’s 10 justices of the peace, who are elected every two years. The justices will count the ballots by hand.
“Certainly it’s an open process and people are welcome to come and observe,” Degener said.
The vote on the option tax was the closest on the ballot: 417 people voted yes, 426 voted no and 24 voters left the question blank on their ballots.
A little over 100 people voted via absentee ballot. By comparison, voters approved retail cannabis sales by a margin of 61 votes, 448 to 387.
Of the roughly 3,000 people on Woodstock’s checklist, 867 cast ballots during Town Meeting.
“It’s not bad, but it’s a little on the low end,” Degener said about the turnout. Over the past six years, voter turnout has ranged from around 650 to 1,300 people.
Degener said he could not recall a time in the last dozen years when there was a recount. Prior to that, “I think years ago when we had one of the town and village merge voters there was a tight margin and we had a recount,” he said.
Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
