ROCKINGHAM, Vt. – On Tuesday, March 1, at the Rockingham Selectboard Organizational Special Meeting, Peter Golec, Elijah Zimmer, and Rick Cowan were sworn in; Golec for three years, Cowan and Zimmer for one-year seats.
Golec ran uncontested receiving 410 votes. Cowan earned 347 votes and Zimmer 360. Also running were Stefan Golec with 150 votes and William Crowther, who received 46.
Cass Wright swore the members into office and was also reappointed as the Tree Warden and Animal Control Officer.
All Articles passed in this year’s election. Moderator L. Ray Massucco was reappointed, along with Kathleen Neathawk, Treasurer and Town Clerk. Both positions ran uncontested. Public Trustee and Campbell Trustee, Deborah Wright and Library Trustees, Carol Blackwood, Ryan Coyne, and Margo Ghia were elected.
Article 5 authorizing retail cannabis passed 318 – 187 and Article 9 authorizing $75,000 for the Train Station acquisition passed 435 – 92. The Rockingham Town FY23 budget of $6,354,252, with $5,079,889 to be raised by taxes, passed 435 – 71. The Rockingham Library budget of $431,555, with $379,250 to be raised by taxes, passed 398 – 126.
Both Article 10 requesting $150,000 for the plow truck, and Article 11 approving $22,000 for the Rockingham Meeting House passed, Article 10 at 385 -122, and Article 11 at 391 -118.
Article 12, to vote by Australian ballot for the Library, passed 391 – 118, and Article 13, to vote by AB on the budget, passed 378 -124. These will be voted on again in a special meeting in April as part of the legal process, but Chair Golec recognized the obvious support for Australian ballot.
School Board Director winning seats were: three-year Rick Kibbe at 314 against Priscilla Lambert’s 153, two-year James McAuliffe at 340, two-year Lambert at 261 against write-in Rick Holloway with 112 votes, and one-year Bill Morse at 358. The School Budget of $9,697,976.38 passed 414 -102.
New Listers to replace Paul Obuchowski and Camilla Roberts were three-year Michael Stack and two-year Ted Dedrick.
At the meeting, the Selectboard also discussed officer elections and adopted policies and procedures. Golec was nominated as Chair, Hammond as Vice-Chair, and Zimmer as Clerk. The board selected The Shopper newspaper as the official newspaper of record.
The board set the time and place for monthly meetings and chose to meet on the first and third Tuesdays at 6 p.m. in the Lower Theatre of the Bellows Falls Opera House.