Rob Donnelly
They spent years trying to make it work. They even moved in together, so to speak, sharing staff and consolidating departments in hopes that it would confirm their compatibility. But some relationships aren't meant to be, and after a messy, century-plus entanglement, the Town of Essex and the Village of Essex Junction are heading toward a split.
The potential breakup of Vermont's second-largest community comes on the heels of two votes this spring in which residents were asked to merge their distinct but overlapping municipalities. Villagers, whose taxes would have dropped, voted overwhelmingly in favor, while town-outside-the-village residents, whose taxes would have increased, voted overwhelmingly against. Both times, the merger failed by fewer than 30 votes.