FAIRLEE — Residents will decide whether to move the annual Town Meeting from a Tuesday to a Saturday during a Special Town Meeting scheduled for Oct. 17.
Currently, residents gather in person on the first Tuesday of March to vote on the town budget and other warning articles. This fall, resident Lisa Avery started a petition to gather signatures to “change the date of its annual Town Meeting to the third day (Saturday) preceding the first Tuesday in March,” according to a copy of the Special Town Meeting warning.
The in-person vote is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at Fairlee Town Hall.
Avery, who has lived in Fairlee for 26 years, said she wants to change the day of Town Meeting to give more people the opportunity to participate, especially if they work full time. Avery works as a social worker at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and said it is difficult to take a Tuesday off work to attend Town Meeting.
“It just can’t be me that wants to be able to vote and have a say in our town, but can’t go to town meeting,” she said in a Monday phone interview.
Over the months she spent talking to residents, Avery has heard from people who support the proposed change.
“The only negative I heard is ‘oh it’s tradition,’” she said. “That’s really hard for people to move past.”
She understands that people care about the centuries-long tradition of meeting in person to decide town business.
“I would prefer to go to Australian ballot, but after talking to people I think that’s too big of a jump,” she said. “Many people I talk to still appreciate having conversations, wanting to have those discussions on the floor, not just Australian ballot. ”
Saturday seemed like a good compromise for people who can’t take time off work during the week.
“For me, this was middle of the road,” Avery said.
Selectboard chair Miranda Clemson said she doesn’t think she will vote during the Special Town Meeting.
“It really doesn’t make much difference to me which day it is,” Clemson said in a Monday phone interview. “It’s my understanding that changing the day doesn’t really help with attendance, but you never know and if people want to vote on it, then they should.”
