BELLOWS FALLS — On Tuesday, March 4, voters in Rockingham will elect four candidates running for the Rockingham Free Public Library Board of Trustees. I am an incumbent trustee. The other three candidates (Doreen Aldrich, David Gould, and Carol Blackwood) and I are running as a unified slate and would appreciate your votes.
Over the last couple of years, the present leadership of the library has lost the public's trust due to repeated violations of Vermont's open-meeting law and personal agendas that in my view do not have the best interests of the library and its patrons foremost in mind.
The board is here to serve the citizens of Rockingham and the non-residents who are patrons of the library. This leadership has repeatedly ignored the will of the people, whom the library is supposed to serve. Our slate of candidates will commit to respecting the library patrons, the library staff, and the citizens of Rockingham.
Now that the renovations of our beautiful Carnegie library are done, the board needs to work with the Rockingham Selectboard to find a way to eliminate the project deficit over the next few years. The library trustees and the Selectboard should and can work hand-in-hand to find a fiscally responsible solution. This slate knows and understands the value of a close and harmonious working relationship with the Selectboard.
As we move forward, the library board and all its committees must operate in the clear light of day and not behind closed doors. This slate will ensure that all the library operations are conducted in the open.
Please cast your votes for us.