Incumbents retain seats
PROCTOR — In Town Meeting voting, residents of Proctor overwhelmingly passed their $926,506 general fund budget and their highway budget of $482,636, narrowly passed measures to permit the sale of cannabis in town, and re-elected two incumbent selectboard members who were challenged by John Jozwiak.
Selectman Bruce Baccei was re-elected to his two-year seat, 168-46; while selectwoman Linda Raymond was re-elected to her one-year seat, 164-52. Selectboard chair Judy Frazier ran unopposed for her three-year seat collecting 197 votes.
Residents approved the general fund budget by a 193-35 vote; and approved the highway budget, 202-26. The General Fund budget saw a very modest increase of less than 1 percent compared to the prior year, and the highway budget is basically level-funded, going from $484,213 to $482,638 in Fiscal Year 2023. The amount to be raised by taxes will be less than 1 percent, according to Town Manager Michael Ramsey.
CANNABIS SALES
Residents barely approved the sale of cannabis in town, passing a measure to authorizer retailers, 125-102, and approving integrated licensee operations by a larger margin, 137-65. Approval means that potential retailers of cannabis could open shop at earliest in October 2022. That delay allows town zoning and other boards to put in place appropriate regulations as they see fit. Neighboring Pittsford also passed its retail cannabis measure by an even closer, 323-313.
In other elected races, Andrew Maass was re-elected to a one-year term as town moderator with 213 votes and Sarah Lohnes Watulak was elected to a three-year term as Quarry Valley school board director with 192 votes. Both were uncontested races. A one-year term for a school board member to Quarry Valley Unified School District remains open.
Current selectboard members are: Judith Frazier, chair, Benjamin Curtis, vice-chair, and select board members Linda Raymond, Thomas Hogan and Bruce Baccei.
In one other money vote, residents voted to approve spending $67,000 for the Proctor Free Library for the upcoming fiscal year.
QVUUSD VOTES
On Quarry Valley Unified Union School District matters, Poultney, Proctor and West Rutland residents voted to re-elect Michael Moser for moderator; Betsy J. Wescott for clerk; and Patricia Kulig for treasurer. All were for one-year terms and were uncontested races.
School district residents also approved $19,096,029.63 for the QVUUSD budget, which will result in education spending of $16,870.49 per equalized student — an increase of 1.85% more than last year. The district vote was 666-315.
