By TORY DENIS
CHESTER — Chester residents came out on Tuesday to cast ballots for local school and municipal elected officials on the second day of the Annual Town Meeting process.
While voters passed all remaining articles on the Town Meeting warrant, they rejected 394-345 a proposed Green Mountain Unified School District budget of $12,547,513.
That budget, if approved, would have resulted in education spending of $15,659.09 per equalized pupil.
For town elections and bonds in articles 2 through 4, voters passed by Australian ballot several general obligation bonds, including articles in support of new equipment for the Chester Highway Department, Chester Fire Department, and restoration of the Chester Town Hall.
On Article 2, with a final count of 335-88, voters approved a general obligation bond not to exceed $236,000, less any state or federal grants. These funds include $110,000 to cover the purchase of a compaction roller for the Highway Department. Town Manager David Pisha said at Town Meeting on Monday that the purchase of the compaction roller, and the use of it on the town’s many dirt roads, would greatly extend the life and durability of those roads.
The bond in Article 2 also includes $115,000 for the purchase of a new sidewalk plow for the highway department, and $11,000 to purchase a hazardous materials trailer for the Chester Fire Department.
On Article 3, voters passed, 353-70, a measure to approve general obligation bonds, less any grant funding, for the estimated $408,000 cost to restore the Chester Town Hall building.
Article 4 focused on funding for a proposed “pocket park” on School Street. General bond funding for that park was approved by voters, 260-161, for an amount not to exceed $25,000, and less and state of federal grant monies.
Voters also elected the following town and Town School District officials:
For the positions of town moderator and Chester Town School District moderator, both for a one-year term, William Dakin was elected with 396 votes for each seat. Dakin ran unopposed for both seats.
For the position of Chester Selectboard member, three-year term, Heather Chase ran unopposed and was elected with 339 votes. Lee Gustafson, with 357, and Ben Whalen, with 363, were both elected to one-year terms on the selectboard.
No write-ins were entered for the seat of town grand juror or the agent to defend suits, which were left unfilled with no one on the ballot for either seat.
Other elected town officials included Shirley Bartlett, with 377 votes, unopposed, for a three-year term for Trustee of Public Funds; and Whiting Library trustees, with three seats awarded as follows: Judith Copping, 357; Lyza Danger Gardner, 327; and Vanessa Heybyrne, 325.
A seat for a Green Mountain Union High School Union 35 director was filled by write-in vote for Deb Brown, with 27 votes.
For the seats of both Chester-Andover Elementary School (CAES) Union 29 director, three-year term, and Chester Town School director, three-year term, Marilyn Mahusky was elected for both by votes of 313 and 308, respectively.
An unexpired two-year term for a seat as a Chester Town School Director went unfilled, with no write-ins.
Voters also voted 327-111 to approve a budget of $2,748,573 for the River Valley Technical Center School District, which is separate from the GMUSD budget.
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