WALDEN – The town report of Walden, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, earned an award in the Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT) annual Town Report Contest.
featuring Tara Goreau’s mural,
earned an award for towns with a population under 1,000 in the Vermont League of Cities and Towns annual Town Report Contest.
Walden’s report was among nine finalist award winners in three population categories selected from 62 entries by a panel of judges from VLCT, the Vermont Institute for Government, the Agency of Commerce and Community Development and the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office.
VLCT members then chose their favorite report from among the nine awardees leading up to the annual VLCT Town Fair on October 8, where the Guilford Town Report won the Members Choice Award.
Walden Town Clerk, Debbie Messier, said she submitted the report and knew it had qualified for towns under 1,000, but didn’t attend the VLCT Town Fair where awards were announced and only learned of it later in an email message.
“We were very excited. We put a lot of time into it, and it takes a lot of time and coordination to put an annual report together.”
She and Assistant Town Clerks Diane Banister and Dia Michaud collaborate with the various town departments to collect and lay out the pages, said Messier. “Michaud then checks everything to make sure it is perfect.”
“The annual report can be one of the most comprehensive and effective ways to keep residents informed of what’s going on in their community and local government,” wrote the VLCT.
“While the annual audit report is the only legally required component, most Vermont municipalities use their annual report to provide valuable community information for residents. Reports provide a snapshot of the community, in many cases containing municipal departmental updates, budget information, marriage licenses issued, births and deaths, local organizations, awards, and more.
Walden’s 48-page report does most of those things for the town with just over 920 residents. Its cover features the Walden Community Library mural conceived by Tara Goreau and painted by her and community members during the summer of 2024.
Reports are judged for the cover’s visual appeal and how well it represents the town, the quality and appropriateness of the report’s dedication and its ease of reading and use. The report’s overall clarity, organization and accessibility as key factors in the judging process.
VLCT said, “There were so many great submissions, and we thank all the nominees. Voting was tight! Judges were struck by the quality and character of all reports they received.” In addition to the finalists, the VLCT, highlighted to “a few other standouts we wanted to highlight.” They are the reports from Brandon, Brattleboro, Calais, Craftsbury, Manchester, Montgomery and Strafford.
You can view those and other town reports on the Vermont Secretary of State’s website/
The contest is sponsored by the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development. Developed in collaboration with the Vermont League of Cities & Towns, the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development, the Vermont Secretary of State’s office, and the Vermont Institute for Government.
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
