To the editor:
At the Jan. 22, 2024 State of the Town meeting, a standing room only crowd of upset residents lambasted the Select Board for quarterly tax bills that went up 50% and more. When told that there was nothing the Select Board could do, residents demanded action, accountability, and executive leadership. Simply put, with the current one-year term, action didn’t and won’t happen. Why? The Cresap Report of 35 years ago predicted this very outcome stating the Select Board will be ignored by other boards that have the advantage of a three-year term. This June, as approved by the 2023 Town Meeting, the first election for three-year staggered Select Board terms will occur. Accountability and executive leadership are on the way and cannot come a moment too soon.
Jim Zisson