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Eighteen years ago, the Secretary of State's Office
tentatively started a newsletter called "Opinions." Over the years it grew
into something of an institution. With the publication of the Book of Opinions in
1992, many town officers have found the newsletter and the book helpful in answering the
tough questions that present themselves to clerks, treasurers, selectboard members,
zoners, planners, and others every day of the year. During Secretary Hooper's time,
the newsletter became Opinions II and Secretary Milne renamed it Municipal Monthly.
Now Secretary Markowitz has chosen to return to the original name for this journal and to
commit her resources to improving the services available to towns through her office.
What counts, of course, isn't the name or the medium but the product, and the product is
reliable advice and information about local government, not only for town officers
but for members of the public as well. That's the true and proper role of a
Secretary of State's office. Vermonters have a right to expect answers to questions as
diverse as what the law says about a particular subject or what they can expect from state
or local government. While there are many offices and agencies in this state that
regularly provide information to callers, it's the Secretary of State's office that has
come to play a central role in helping you find out what you need to know about government
in Vermont.
Timing is extremely important in this business. Next month, on March 2, is Town
Meeting Day for most Vermont residents, and preparing for that event has already occupied
the time and energy of town clerks, selectboard members, and moderators. During
February they will be concentrating on a host of details to ensure that the day goes
smoothly. Some will discover there is a mistake on the warning or an error in the
town report that will make town meeting much more difficult. Some moderators won't
sleep well the night before town meeting, worrying about the parliamentary challenges that
might come at them from the floor in the midst of the discussion. Some
Vermonters |
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will want to know how to amend an
article at town meeting to ensure that their ideas of how the town should be run are
offered as an alternative to the official position of the town. Where should they
turn?
Why to this office, of course. The telephone line is ringing right now, and within a
few minutes Ellen Tofferi, the Elections Director, or David Grayck, the new Deputy, or
even the Secretary herself will be taking the call, trying their best to help you find the
answer that suits your purposes. Sometimes they will give you answers you don't want to
hear, but that's their job: to provide objective, nonpartisan, sensible advice in a
timely manner. A mistake on the warning? Repost the warning with corrections,
and ratify at a subsequent meeting. 17 V.S.A. § 2662. Having moderator's
jitters? Get out your Robert's Rules of Order, and think seriously about attending
one of the seminars available for moderators this month. See February's Calendar on
page 7 of this issue. Want to know how to amend an article? Call
800-439-8683 and the Secretary's office will help you work through
your question, or go directly to Robert's Rules yourself.
There are no questions without answers. Some answers are not easily given, but
there's always a way to do what you want to do without offending some law, while remaining
respectful of the people and the process. Guessing is not an option.
Don't rely on memory or somebody's recollection of what somebody said a few years
ago. The law is changing all the time. Look it up, or ask for help if that
isn't working. We're all in this together, and everybody has an investment in making
government work. Because you know, government isn't supposed to be remote or hard to
reach. It's supposed to be working for you.
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