GUILFORD — Now that Town Meeting voters approved expanding the Selectboard from three to five members, a Special Town Meeting has been scheduled to choose the two newcomers.
However, Special Town Meeting is just the technical term for what will actually be an all-day election that will take place on Tuesday, April 21, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Town Office on School Road.
Voters will be asked to select two candidates for two-year terms on the Selectboard, although one elected member will serve only one year to stagger the voting process.
Candidates have until Friday, March 13, at 5 p.m., to turn in nomination papers. According to Town Clerk Penny Marine, as of March 9, four people had taken out papers - Gabrielle Ciusffreba, Troy Revis, Alex Bell, and Gordon Little.
One of the current members of the Selectboard made a strong case for a five-member board during the March 3 Town Meeting.
Selectboard member Anne Rider said more members could share in the amount of work done by the board and provide greater representation at municipal meetings.
Other residents cited the benefit of having more minds put together at a low cost to the town, and for younger members of the community to learn from the well-established members currently serving on Guilford's board.
Arguments against came most notably from Selectboard Chair Richard Clark, who was opposed to raising the number of members because the meetings could be longer. Others were concerned that there wouldn't be enough time to properly elect new Selectboard members.
In the end, the article was passed by an overwhelming majority, with only a few naysayers.
Bridge meeting ahead
Another special meeting could take place, pending the arrival of a Vermont Agency of Transportation grant for the Green River Bridge project.
Guilford will find out soon whether the grant has been awarded. If not, the town will likely turn to voters to bond or borrow the money. Regardless, the town plans to complete the project this summer and expects it will have high priority on the AOT's agenda.
An estimated 187 people were in attendance at the March 3 Town Meeting. Marine said those numbers are up slightly from previous years, but that figure only represents less than 10 percent of Guilford's approximately 2,100 residents.
Rider voiced her desire to see young people come to meetings and participate in town government. This sentiment was echoed by Selectboard member-elect Sheila Morse, plus other residents of the town who are, in the words of one resident, “well preserved.”