Brattleboro Shifts Back to Open Town Meeting Format

Brattleboro is transitioning from the Representative Town Meeting system to an open town meeting format after 65 years.

This Saturday marks a significant change for Brattleboro as it transitions from the Representative Town Meeting system, used for the past 65 years, back to an open town meeting format. The decision to move from Representative Town Meeting followed a majority vote last month, with 1,457 residents favoring the open format compared to 841 supporting the use of ballots. As the town charter undergoes revisions, the input from this vote will play an important role.

The gathering for the meeting is set for 8:30 a.m. in the Brattleboro Union High School gym. Residents are encouraged to actively participate and communicate the details of the upcoming meeting to their neighbors, according to Board Vice Chairwoman Amanda Ellis-Thurber. She acknowledged the efforts of the town clerk's office and the town manager's staff in preparing for this transition.

On the agenda is the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget, which is approximately $27 million and includes a 6.3 percent increase in taxes. If approved, this would result in an additional cost of about $82 per $100,000 of assessed property value. 

In a separate article set for discussion post-budget approval, funding for human services is listed at $1, advised to be set at $1 due to concerns about the overall budget. This recommendation followed extensive discussions by the Select Board, which initially suggested eliminating this expense entirely. Board member Isaac Evans-Frantz explained that the intention was to evaluate human services within the broader context of the town's spending, rather than treating it as an isolated issue.

Gemma Seymour, a local resident, intends to propose an increase to the recommended funding for human services, building on the precedent set last year when Town Meeting members agreed to allocate up to 2 percent of the budget toward these services. Board member Nell Mayo emphasized that this meeting will empower residents to make binding decisions regarding human services spending for the fiscal year 2027.

Moderator David Gartenstein plans to propose a method for discussing both budget articles and human services funding together, aiming for a more comprehensive dialogue on these financial matters. He expressed hope for a productive discussion about the level of funding that the attending members support.

Among other items on the agenda are the confirmation of appointments for the town treasurer and attorney, considerations for funding operational costs of the Downtown Brattleboro Alliance, past capital improvements at Mountain Home Park, property tax exemptions for local entities, as well as plans for future committees and the scheduling of the next annual meeting.

The Board Chairman Oscar Heller previously commented on the concerted effort put forth by the Select Board and staff to form a viable budget in a challenging financial climate while maintaining fiscal responsibility.