“What District Are You In?”

by RobertOeser | Politics | 1724 Views

“What District are you in?”

Map of Brattleboro Voting Districts: http://bit.ly/2CsMex0   

Tuesday, March 6 – Town Elections will be held at the

 Municipal Center, second floor, Selectboard Meeting Room, 230 Main Street, Room 212, from 7:00 am until 7:00 pm. Absentee ballots are currently available at the Town Clerks Office and may be requested until 5:00 pm on Monday, March 5.

Saturday, March 24 – Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting begins at 8:30 am at the Brattleboro Area Middle School multi-purpose room.

Town Meeting members are still needed in each district District 1 has 7 three-year seats open, 3 two-year seats open, and 3 one-year seats open; 
– District 2 has 2 three-year seats open and 2 one-year seats open, and 
– District 3 has 4 three-year seats open, 4 two-years seats open, and 2 one-year seats open.

Vacancies can be filled in two ways: 
Any voter interested in running for a position as a write-in candidate must file a Declaration of Candidacy with the Town Clerk by the close of the polls on election day in order for their votes to be counted. Declarations of Candidacy will be posted on a bulletin board at the polls so voters will be aware of those interested in vacant positions. A minimum of ten votes are required to be elected.

You can caucus in as a representative to fill one of the vacant seats: 
go to the Academy School on Wednesday, March 14, between 6and 6:30pm, 
attend the caucus for your district beginning at 6:30pm, and 
be approved by the assembled representatives to be added to their rolls 
the Informational Meeting to prepare for Representative Meeting follows at 7:00pm

Resources: Brattleboro Town Clerk Elections page: 
http://www.brattleboro.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={FFED1EC2-A91E-4068-B082-FDC98D7653D2 
Town Clerk Hilary Francis hfrancis@brattleboro.org 
Vermont Secretary of State Elections page: 
https://www.sec.state.vt.us/elections.aspx

Comments | 13

  • Submitted by cgrotke on February 18, 2018 at 2:55 pm

    Ha ha just kidding

    When are the meetings where district representatives meet with their district members to take questions and comments, and to explain what they plan to do at the annual meeting?

    I joke.

    • Submitted by Maria on February 19, 2018 at 4:50 am

      It started out as a joke

      It started out as a joke:

      Inviting a District Representative (all volunteers) to your home and inviting neighbors is a great idea. Gathering together could be a good time to invite others to become district representatives. We need more.

      I suspect the questioning and commenting, you describe, has taken place informally many times in passing at the Post Office, library, Mocha Joes, in kitchens and more, and many times at that.

      Having a home meeting would be an even better winter opportunity to get neighbors involved.

      So the joke could start a real endeavor. Someone could extend an invitation for your representatives to join you with a few neighbors .

      It seems to take some good desert to get a good discussion going, and we know where the good deserts are found.

      Not kidding, your point is well taken, as are the sweet treats and recipes you show us.

      • Submitted by cgrotke on February 19, 2018 at 8:24 am

        Who are reps representing?

        I point it out as a flaw in our RTM system.

        As originally designed, Reps were to meet with their districts. Voting took place in districts (not one central location).

        Since it was begun in the 1960’s, RTM reps have drifted away from holding district meetings. Now, if you don’t personally know a rep, a non-rep has very little interaction or say in town matters at RTM. You can go and caucus with your district for 30 minutes before the Cliff Notes budget meeting, but that’s before Reps learn about the annual meeting agenda, so they aren’t yet informed.

        Not knowing who one represents or what constituents want is part of the reason RTM actions have been revoted afterward at a general poll, in my view.

        Regular quarterly district meetings, a district agenda, real district leadership, reps attending select board meetings and participating year-round… I think these sorts of things are needed to save RTM. If you aren’t a representative, or can’t be one for some reason, there’s no real place to fit in.

        I’d like to see our RTM create the Town budget, as they do in some other towns with RTM. The reps create it and the towns live with it.

        Being a representative is a very passive activity right now. It would be nice to change that.

    • Submitted by MarkTwain© on February 19, 2018 at 8:40 am

      "... to explain what they plan to do at the annual meeting?"

      Representative’s answer: “Each of my votes will be an informed choice based on the best interests of my constituents.”

      Representative’s secret thought: I will sit near representative whom I know to be informed and whose opinions I respect, and vote the same way s/he does.

  • Submitted by RobertOeser on February 19, 2018 at 1:58 pm

    District 3 Pre-Meeting Meeting

    If anyone is interested in a District 3 Pre-Meeting Meeting, let me know. I’ll see what I can do, subject to available time constraints.

    http://dilbert.com/strip/1996-07-05

    • Submitted by Maria on February 20, 2018 at 5:27 am

      Perhaps Chris

      I wonder if Chris is in District 3.
      There still could be a chance for some fortunate few to get a taste from those recipes and samples of what was in the photos.

      Perhaps the meeting would be the start of getting those helpful changes which he writes about here.

      We could then say that the endeavor, which was a success, started out as a joke..

    • Submitted by cgrotke on February 20, 2018 at 9:42 am

      Sounds good.

      I am District 3, and would be interested in such a meeting if not this year, in future years. Perhaps when the budget is first presented to the select board in the fall? Or right as they approve it in January? I think some planning for a good meeting would be worth more than rushing to fit one in.

      And, if such a meeting does occur, I will contribute some baked goodies to my fellow districtators. : )

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