MONDAY EDITION ADDISON COUNTY Vol.INDEPENDENT 31 No. 27 Middlebury, Vermont Monday, February 10, 2020 40 Pages $1.00 ANWSD Flutist takes board sees center stage races in • Anne Janson, playing some favorite works, is joined by two towns viola and harp on Valentine’s Day. See Arts Beat, Page 10. Santa Maria and DeGraaf vie for open Vergennes seat By CHRISTOPHER ROSS VERGENNES — On Town Meeting Day, March 3, voters in the Addison Northwest School District will elect or re-elect five representatives Keep an eye out to the ANWSD Board of Directors: one in Addison, two for bear tracks in Ferrisburgh, one in Panton • Our ursine friends are and one in Vergennes. more active than normal Each is a three-year term. In Vergennes, Martha this winter. See Page 25. DeGraaf and Jena Santa Maria are running for the seat now Court rivals held by ANWSD Chair Sue Rakowski, who announced last meet in Bristol month that she would not seek (See Vergennes, Page 20) • The Commodore boys visited the Eagles Saturday. Read about it on Page 22. Kittredge and Eisenhardt on Addison ballot By CHRISTOPHER ROSS ADDISON — Voters in the town of Addison will choose between two local residents — George Eisenhardt and Amy Kittredge — to represent them on the Addison Northwest School District board. Looming large The election on March 3 will A WORKER ON the downtown Middlebury rail project is hoisted into the blue sky high fill the seat now held by George above the tracks last Wednesday to position a massive vibrating hammer into place above a Lawrence, who announced last sheet metal pile that will support the sides of the track bed during excavation this summer. month that he would not seek Meet and greet Independent photo/Steve James (See Addison, Page 21) the candidates • Those running for the Tax rate increases outpace MAUSD budget Bristol selectboard will gather on Feb. 21. Page 2. By ANDY KIRKALDY ranging from about 5.8% to 8.2%. assessed value, to 13.5 cents in Starksboro, BRISTOL — If residents of the Mount The budget, if adopted, would increase the or $135 per $100,000 of assessed value. Abraham Unified School District (MAUSD) five-town district’s spending by 1.45%. It’s important to understand that only about on March 3 approve the MAUSD board’s In dollar terms, MAUSD’s estimates for a third of district and Vermont taxpayers pay proposed $31,399,182 spending plan for the the five district towns call for increases in based on the value of their homes and not 2020-2021 school year, they are expected to the tax rate that would range from about 9.6 based on their incomes, and thus two-thirds of face increases in their towns’ school tax rates cents in Monkton, or $96 per $100,000 of (See MAUSD, Page 28) PAGE 2 — Addison Independent, Monday, February 10, 2020 Snow day House PRESCHOOLER FRANKIE HOUGHTON, left, gingerly starts down a sledding hill pot in Middlebury this past Thursday while her kindergarten-age sales sister, Joni, barrels on ahead. Snow and ice prompted school officials in gjslk all four Addison County districts to cancel classes and afterschool activities. Independent photo/ Steve James House to consider pot marketplace, taxation law By XANDER LANDEN in the Ways and Means Committee when it start selling to consumers in 2022. Of that heavily use the black market. VTDigger.org arrived there last year. revenue, $8.9 million would be sent to Other states that have recently legalized MONTPELIER — The House Ways Under the House bill, which was report- the state’s general fund, and $3.8 million cannabis have seen thriving black markets, and Means Committee advanced legis- ed out of committee on a 7-3 vote, cannabis would go into the education fund. even after dispensaries have opened. lation this past Wednesday that would purchases would face a 14% excise tax and In determining how marijuana should be “We sort of found that 20%, which is legalize a marketplace for marijuana and a 6% sales tax. The excise tax would send taxed, lawmakers sought to ensure that the what Massachusetts does, is a good place set a 20% combined tax rate on sales of the revenue to the state’s general fund, and the rate was high enough to generate substan- to land,” committee chair Rep. Janet An- substance. sales tax would feed the education fund. tial revenue for the state. cel, D-Calais, said after the vote. “I think The action means the bill, S.54, will According to a mid-range estimate from But they were also cautious about there might be some tolerance for being a likely see a full vote on the House floor the Joint Fiscal Office, the state could making sure the tax wasn’t so high that little higher than that, but not much.” in the coming weeks. It represents major expect to see about $13 million in tax users would be discouraged from buying The version of the bill to tax and reg- movement for the legislation, which stalled revenue about four years after dispensaries the drug at dispensaries, and continue to (See Pot sales, Page 3) Addison Independent, Monday, February 10, 2020 — PAGE 3 Pot sales (Continued from Page 2) rate is a “little too high.” ulate marijuana that passed the The reason: “Because we want Senate last year had a lower, 16% to compete with the black mar- combined tax rate. ket,” he said. The committee also jettisoned He added that he supports a 2% local option tax that would keeping a local option tax for mu- have allowed municipalities to nicipalities, because it gives them collect revenue from cannabis an incentive to allow dispensaries dispensaries. and other cannabis facilities to Karen Horn, a lobbyist for the open up. Vermont League of Cities and After passing the Ways and Towns, urged lawmakers to keep Means Committee, the cannabis the local option tax in the bill, bill now moves to the House and said that towns are going to Appropriations Committee, and need additional revenue to cover will likely see a vote on the House the costs of managing a new legal floor soon. cannabis market. While there is broad, tripartisan “Municipalities are going to be support to legalize marijuana responsible for enforcement at the sales in the House, Speaker Mitzi local level so we’re going to need Johnson, D-South Hero, has been to address zoning issues,” Horn reluctant to back the measure and told the committee Wednesday has reservations about expanding morning. legalization. But she has said she “We’re going to need to address won’t stand in the way of the EVENT CO-CHAIRS SARAH STOTT, left, and Debbie Ramsdell talk with Bristol Town Clerk Jen complaints about odor, about measure if it earns the 76 votes Myers about the League of Women Voters’ “Meet the Candidates, a Bristol Selectboard Candidate secondhand smoke … security Forum,” which will be held at the Bristol Fire Station on Feb. 21. it needs to pass and addresses concerns and hours of operations concerns about roadside safety, and events,” she said. youth usage and the impact a Ancel said she preferred a sales marijuana industry could have on tax that would provide money for the environment. Bristol candidates to gather the education fund, “which bene- Gov. Phil Scott has also said BRISTOL — The League of featured on NEAT TV. our communities and country. fits every town in the state, rather he could support a bill to tax and Women Voters this month is Forum attendees will be able But in order to do that, we must than individual towns.” regulate marijuana if it addresses giving Bristol residents a chance to pick up sample ballots for the be informed. This forum will Sen. Dick Sears, D-Bennington, similar concerns and has even to meet candidates for the Bristol selectboard election, the Mount enable Bristol residents to meet the chair of the Senate Judiciary pitched using marijuana revenue selectboard and ask them ques- Abraham Unified School Dis- the selectboard candidates and Committee and a longtime pro- to fund his proposal to offer tions. trict budget, the Bristol Police hear each one explain why they ponent of marijuana legalization, universal after-school programs On Friday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m., District budget, the Patricia A. are best suited for the position.” said he believes that a 20% tax to children in Vermont. the organization will host “Meet Hannaford Regional Technical the Candidates, a Bristol Select- School District budget, and for board Candidate Forum” in the the Democratic and Republican meeting room at the Bristol Fire Presidential primaries. Bristol’s Station on West Street. Bristol 2019 Town Report will also be Justice of the Peace Anne Wal- available. lace will moderate. The League of Women At the forum will be two can- Voters is a nonpartisan political didates for a two-year seat, Darla organization that encourages Senecal and Bill Mount, along informed and active participa- with incumbent Michelle Perlee, tion in government. According who is running for a three-year to Sarah Stott, co-chair with seat. The candidates will answer Debbie Ramsdell, of the Can- previously prepared questions didate Forum, “One of the most as well as questions from the important actions we as citizens audience. There will be light in a democratic country can take refreshments. The forum will be is to choose the best leaders for CALLING ALL COMMUNITY FRIENDS SAVE PAR THIS SUMMER. FORMER MENTEES The Middlebury College Community Friends program is SAVE DOUGH RIGHT NOW. celebrating 60 years of mentoring relationships this Spring! To honor this milestone, the Center for Community Save $100 when you buy any Adult golf membership before 2/29/20.