BELLOWS FALLS â Voters approved a $1.6 million village budget in balloting on Tuesday.
But the participation was stunningly low, with less than 5 percent turnout.
Only 79 people cast ballots, with the only draw being the budget since there were no contested races. The budget passed 56-22. There are about 3,300 residents of the village, with 1,922 registered voters, according to Village Clerk Kathleen Neathawk.
Winning reelection in the uncontested races were Village President Deborah Wright and Village Trustees James âJiggsâ McAuliffe and Stefan Golec.
Tuesdayâs turnout was in stark contract to last year, when there were seven candidates for two trustee positions, and more than 300 people voted.
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BELLOWS FALLS Village President Deborah Wright, Bellows Falls Village Moderator Paul Obuchowski and Municipal Manager Scott Pickup had a Zoom dress rehearsal Friday morning to iron out any kinks for Monday night s annual village meeting.
There is one big change: Obuchowski and Pickup decided to hold the meeting downstairs in the Town Hall, in the Lower Theater, rather than upstairs in the Bellows Falls Opera House, because of the technology and equipment needed for a Zoom village meeting.
Determined to get as many people to attend the meeting as possible either in person or virtually the decision was only made after Gov. Phil Scott loosened the distance requirements for a public gathering, Pickup stressed.
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BELLOWS FALLS â Bellows Falls residents wonât be voting next month on an advisory opinion on whether to allow retail cannabis sales in the village.
Citing a lack of interest and support, Village President Deborah Wright said at Tuesday nightâs Village Board of Trustees meeting that she wouldnât even ask for a formal vote from the board about putting it on the Village Meeting warning.
Wright said she just wanted people to have the chance to weigh in on the issue, which would ultimately be decided by the Rockingham Select Board and a townwide vote. Under state law, communities have to vote to opt in to the state cannabis system.
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BELLOWS FALLS â Village President Deborah Wright wants Bellows Falls voters to consider the issue of whether to allow a retail cannabis store in the village, and at the same time consider a local option sales tax to take advantage.
Wright made the suggestion this week to the Bellows Falls Village Board of Trustees. Wright said she wanted voters to take up the issue later this year during the annual village meeting in May.
âI want us to have the option and to talk about it,â said Wright, noting she hadnât made up her mind on the issue. âWe should talk about it.â
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BELLOWS FALLS â Gary Foxâs ears must have been burning Tuesday night, when the Bellows Falls Village Board of Trustees heaped praise on the work he was doing for the village and the town of Rockingham.
But that praise didnât translate into immediate financial support to turn Foxâs three-quarters job as development director for Rockingham into a full-time position, with financial support from the village of Bellows Falls.
Fox, who was present at Tuesday nightâs meeting, heard plenty of praise from the trustees who were at the meeting: James âJiggsâ McAuliffe, Village President Deborah Wright and Trustee Jeff Dunbar. Trustee Wade Masure attended via Zoom, and he also was supportive of Foxâs work. Missing was Trustee Stefan Golec.