Stephen Murphy (front center) has been the moderator for the Woodbury Town Meeting since 2022. A large crowd attended the meeting held at the Woodbury School, March 2.
WOODBURY – The town’s first Saturday town meeting on March 2 was well attended by approximately 120 people.
The 2023 town meeting considered the question, “Shall Woodbury hold its future annual Town Meetings on the Saturday preceding the first Tuesday in March?”
Minutes of that meeting record, “John Reid states that the Town Meeting Committee study shows people are in favor of a Saturday meeting.” Norman Etkind does not like the idea of Town Meeting being held in February some years. Patrick Flood thanks the committee for their work. Laura Murphy likes the idea of a Saturday meeting and states that the weekend before Town Meeting is the last weekend of winter break and families could be on vacation.
The article moving town meeting to Saturday passed on a voice vote.
Chris Koteas, select board chair, chose to step down from the position this year. His position was filled by Chris Casey on a vote of 82-22 over Monty Shatney.
Goddard Graves asks a question during Woodbury’s town meeting, held on March 2, at Woodbury School.
Bonnie Collins will take over Robert Martin’s spot as lister and Jonah Meachum will fill the vacant auditor’s position.
Chief Paul Cerutti of the Woodbury Fire Department told the meeting that the prevalence of drugs and recent deaths is taking a toll and adding stress for department members and EMTs. All three articles funding the Woodbury Fire Department passed.
Appropriations were taken up as one item and passed on a voice vote with no changes.
Article 31, “Shall the voters authorize General Fund expenditures for operating expenses of $501,815.97, of which $232,204.97 shall be raised by property taxes and $269,611.00 by non-tax revenues?” and Article 32, “Shall the voters authorize Highway Fund expenditures of $654,462.00, of which $531,792.00 shall be raised by property taxes and $122,670.00 by non-tax revenues?” Both passed on voice votes.
The final article before adjournment, “To transact any other non-binding business that may legally come before the meeting” raised the question of supporting a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip conflict between Israel and Palestine. The question was initially called out of order by Moderator Stephen Murphy, but subsequent debate and a paper ballot allowed the question to come to the floor for discussion, where it ultimately passed.
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
