Dear Editor,
Upon reading The Vermont Journal dated Jan. 13, 2021, I was amazed to read our Selectboard had over expenditures of $106,000 and then was shocked to read they are considering taking $25,000 of cemetery monies to help them offset their so-called $106,000 error.
Our Cemetery Commissioners are separately elected officials. They also have a separate budget voted by town voters and not part of any Selectboard’s concerns. Our town voted four to five years ago that all cemetery monies stay under the control of the Cemetery Commissioners.
Several years ago, a similar occurrence was noted by the village Light Commissioners when the village was taking monies from the light department for village use. The Light Commissioners fought the issue and won. Our village light department is a separate department governed totally by the Light Commissioners and not the village Trustees or town Selectboard.
We now are looking at similar issues with the Selectboard trying to take funds from the Cemetery Commissioners, which I feel in no way they can do that. I will be checking with the state officials. As a Cemetery Commissioner, I will not approve such action.
Sincerely,
Herbert B. VanGuilder
Cemetery Commissioner
Ludlow, Vt.