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Panton voters asked to approve expanding Selectboard from three to five members
Summary
Article 6 asks voters to increase the Town of Panton Selectboard from three to five members under 17 V.S.A. §2650(b); passage would raise quorum from two to three and trigger a special town meeting to elect or appoint two members.
Moderator Martha DeGraff read Article 6 asking voters whether to expand the Board of Selectpersons from three to five members pursuant to 17 V.S.A. §2650(b). Clerk/Treasurer Kyle Rowe explained that, if approved, the town would schedule a special town meeting later in the spring or summer to elect two additional Selectboard members; if no candidates run, the Selectboard may appoint people to the seats. The town’s quorum would increase from two to three.
Discussion at the informational meeting focused on the tradeoffs of a larger board: some residents said more members could improve representation and spread workload, while others noted Panton’s historic difficulty filling local offices. Moderator DeGraff briefly stepped out of her moderator role to comment and cited a related situation in Vergennes as part of her explanation. Residents including Debbie Brace and Monique Bogue urged clearer job descriptions and broader outreach to recruit potential candidates; Kyle said those descriptions will be posted on the town website.
No formal vote on Article 6 occurred at the informational meeting; the article will appear on the warned ballot and, if approved by voters, will prompt the special election or the Selectboard appointments described by the clerk.
