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Townshend declines to join Windham County regional law‑enforcement pilot
Summary
After debate about potential tax impacts and whether participation would bind the town to future county assessments, the Townshend select board voted against joining the Windham County Regional Law Enforcement Governance Council pilot (recorded vote 1–3–0).
The Townshend select board considered a Windham County Sheriff's Office request to join a multi‑year pilot program to form a county regional law‑enforcement governance council. Chair read the pilot’s scope—establish bylaws, performance metrics, budgets and an annual service agreement with the sheriff—and emphasized it is a state‑authorized pilot limited to Windham County towns that opt in.
Board members raised concerns about potential future county assessments and whether participating towns would be obliged to pay county levies without commensurate services. One member asked whether towns that decline would be assessed anyway; the chair read the sheriff’s statement that non‑participating towns would not be assessed or lose contracting rights. After discussion and questions about opt‑in/opt‑out mechanics, a motion to join the council and appoint a representative failed on a voice vote recorded as 1–3–0.
The chair asked staff to notify Sheriff Anderson of the board’s decision by the following day so the county can proceed with organizing other interested towns.
