A couple years ago. A coup d’etat was engineered in Brattleboro.

Like mushrooms after rain, lawn signs erupted all over town supporting a “slate” of candidates for the selectboard, which was successfully elected and which considerably changed the direction of the board.

The new board, which is still in place, has been consistent in ignoring the wishes of the people and in promoting their own agenda.

This is illustrated by three quotations from the Letters section of today’s Reformer:

This perspective helps me understand the unfortunate and shortsighted action of our Selectboard regarding management of the Whetstone Brook and threats to public and private interests along its course. (Douglas C. Cox)

The Selectboard should be asking the Heifer organizers what more can be done to help. I feel the Heifer organizers embody the spirit that is Brattleboro more than the Selectboard. (Joe and Cyndi Miskell)

Last night I attended the selectboard meeting and witnessed the Selectboard vote to reject the petition to take over Vermont Yankee by eminent domain…Would they consider it town business if all the residents of Brattleboro had to evacuate as a result of a serious accident at Vermont Yankee? (Bill Dyon)

I attended last week’s session, and I witnessed a discussion about the Chestnut Hill reservoir. The DPW director presented his analysis of the options, and made what I felt was a well thought out proposal to retain it as an asset for the town. Several residents then spoke, and all suggested that some form of town ownership and control was desireable.

Then the “Selectchair” spoke and stated that he disagreed and that the town should sell it. After a short discussion, a vote was held and his “slate-mates” upheld his opinion. (The Town Meeting Reps will have a chance to further discuss this in the spring.)

My perception was that this seemed autocratic, almost rehearsed, and that this is a characteristic of the present board.

We have a chance to rectify this on Town Meeting Day. Petitions are in, and we have some good looking candidates.

For the three-year Selectboard seat, Spoon Agave and incumbent Dora Bouboulis will face off.

For the one-year Selectboard seat, challengers Daryl Pillsbury and Leah Stuart will try to unseat current board members John
Allen and Jesse Corum.

I wish we didn’t have to choose between Spoon and Dora, as they’re both intelligent, thoughtful candidates.

I don’t know Leah very well. I do know she’s a student at SIT’s Graduate Institute and plays the recorder.

Daryl is a proven legislator, and he has demonstrated that he knows how to get the job done. We need him now.

Town Meeting is coming. Turn out and vote. Bring representative government back to Brattleboro.