Morristown selectboard hopefuls offer budget, peace plans

Ballots were mailed out to all voters this week.

Richard Craig and Paul Griswold are seeking election to the remainder of a two-year term that ends in 2025. The seat was previously held by Travis Sabataso, who was elected in March but resigned abruptly in late June, citing his frustration with the board’s leadership.

Meanwhile, current board member Chris Palermo is hoping to continue serving for the remainder of a three-year term that ends next March. He was tapped to replace longtime board chair Bob Beeman, who resigned abruptly in March, citing, in part, the town’s toxic politics.

Palermo is unopposed on the Aug. 29 ballot, but a second person, Yvette Mason, this week mounted a challenge as a write-in candidate.

All three candidates answered questions about the pressing issues facing Morristowners.

Mason announced her write-in candidacy too late for this week’s deadline.

Chris Palermo

Age: 67

Day job: Retired business owner, lobbyist at the Vermont Statehouse

Paul L. Griswold

Age: “ageless”

Day job: Retired

Richard Craig

Age: 52

Day job: Wireless network engineer

• What life or career experience do you bring that would make you an effective representative on selectboard?

Craig: My life and work experience have shown me creative ways to solve problems while finding solutions to problems and situations my teams or myself have had to manage. My career has allowed me opportunities for creative input in meeting both customer and management goals. As a lifelong Vermont resident and an active 43-year resident of Morrisville, I have made a broad range of personal and professional connections in the community.

Griswold: My real-life experiences began working in sales of building materials for small and large projects, followed by owning and operating a Sears catalog store. I have been a real estate and insurance broker and then spent 23 years developing and operating various corporations for Copley Health Systems. I have also been a school board member, a town auditor, chairman of the planning commission, a justice of the peace and a member of various not-for-profit organizations including Lamoille County Mental Health Services and Craftsbury Community Care Home.

Palermo: I served for 16 years as a member and vice-chair of the Waterbury Selectboard. During my tenure I was intimately involved in budget development, was a negotiator with the state on payment in lieu of taxes for the municipality and helped lead the development and financing plan on a new municipal highway facility, to name a few.

I also was a member and chair of the Waterbury Planning Commission and served on the board of civil authority. I owned and operated four businesses, all in Waterbury: Perkins-Parker Funeral Home, V.L. Perkins Furniture Store, Home on the Range Specialty Kitchen Store and V.L. Perkins Cemetery Memorials. I retired after 41 years of service.

• How do you balance the town’s infrastructure, public safety and socioeconomic needs?

Griswold: Morristown is doing well meeting the need for low- and moderate-income housing and the need for additional police services. Health services are also being assisted with a quality ambulance service. We do, however, need to evaluate what we can do to increase available store services to alleviate the need to travel outside of the area for some of our basic needs.

Palermo: Beginning in fiscal year 2024-25, we need to address three immediate items. First, developing a request for bid proposals for the renovation and addition to the town garage using available American Rescue Plan Act money. If we are forced to renew a lease on the village garage, we will potentially be spending over $1 million on rent over 10 years and that would be unwise.

Second, formulating a town road and sidewalk inventory and audit. By doing so we will assess their current condition (a scoring system), any necessary upgrades and construction, the prioritization of these, the longevity of the reconditioning or construction, and the budgetary expense and financing plan needed to achieve this goal.

Third, addressing issues that need attention in our public safety buildings and main office building. Continuing to defer maintenance and repairs is the law of diminishing returns. Conducting building assessments and a prioritized plan to address these needs protects the town’s investment in these facilities but, just as important, it maintains a safe environment for employees.

Supporting the police department is imperative. With a 95 percent increase in arrests over the past three years, fully staffing the department protects our ability to curb crime and assist in the ongoing struggle with substance abuse and homelessness. In addition, a commitment to quality-of-life programs such as the recreation program, summertime concerts and the wide variety of activities offered throughout the community help bring commerce and healthy activities to the community.

Craig: To balance these needs, we need to come up with a long-term, forward-looking plan that considers the pace of development and the direction we want the community to head. I feel that we have been reactionary and have not addressed issues when we should have. All these items are directly related. Infrastructure is public safety, highway, water and light and all the other things we enjoy as a town. We need to support those functions to foster a healthy and safe community.

We do not live in Morrisville in the year 2000. Development is a good thing; it brings fresh ideas and differing opinions to town, but it also brings challenges. We are seeing some of these challenges now.

• This has been a divisive year so far in Morristown, and on the selectboard, with two members resigning with sharp parting words for those still serving. What will you do to help bring harmony to the town and the board?

Palermo: We are at an inflection point in the community. The corrosive environment that has permeated the budget discussions, led to resignations and eroded staff morale needs to end. The board has the responsibility to listen to all voices, be responsible for providing services and do so at the least affordable cost. I believe we have done that and, with the help of the majority of the community, we can move forward in a positive direction on Aug. 29.

As a board, five members are not always going to agree. It is through discussion, compromise and consensus that leads to the best decisions. It can never be personal.

Craig: I feel that I have worked behind the scenes in many different capacities in the community. I will offer a conscientious, inclusive, metered and realistic voice on the board.

I have no personal axe to grind. I, like most people that I have spoken with, want to have our town back and a reduction in the negative back and forth we have been seeing.

Griswold: Treating the other members of the board and community with respect, both in public and privately, is the basic way to instill harmony. My tenure as chair of the Morristown Planning Commission is proof of my ability to achieve this.

• The selectboard has maintained its salary increases for town officials in all three budgets proposed this year. Should the town re-examine its pay raise formulas? If so, what changes would you propose?

Craig: I have heard from many that these salary increases are the big sticking point in the budget. My understanding is that the increases in wages were agreed upon by previous selectboards and were part of the “package” that non-union employees have counted on.

This is unfortunate for the taxpayers given the large cost of living adjustment increase that was granted the union employees by their contract. I feel we should have merit-based raise floors and ceilings that are more representative to raises given to the body of voters.

Griswold: It appears the salary increases were promised prior to the funding being approved. This may necessitate making some changes to the promised increases to achieve an approved budget. However fair or unfair it may be, the board represents the entire community.

Palermo: The board has a clear consensus that we need to address the Consumer Price Index COLA plan. Instituting a floor and ceiling is the most logical first step. This protects both the town and its employees in volatile swings in inflation. In addition, we should look at the current step program to see if this is the best metric to raise pay for job skill achievements.

• No matter the outcome of the Aug. 29 budget vote, the selectboard will have to move shortly into planning for next year’s budget. What are your top priorities for next year’s budget?

Griswold: I have been reviewing selectboard meeting minutes for the last year or more and have found very few, if any, indications of budget development taking place during open meetings. My priorities will be expressed during the process of developing next year’s budget. However, my top priority will be to balance the operations of the town and the cost with the ability of the taxpayers to support it.

Palermo: Priorities for 2024-2025: payroll metrics (cost of living and step program), developing a request for proposal to begin the process of the renovation, construction and financing of the town highway facility including the use of available ARPA money, negotiating a new highway union contract, road and sidewalk infrastructure and building maintenance.

If we begin to look at the longevity of capital equipment, road and sidewalk improvements and physical plant maintenance, and design financing around its life expectancy, we can conceivably reduce annual payments and reduce the tax rate to achieve our goals. I believe it’s worth looking at. Every dollar counts.

Craig: This budget and the response to it, from community members, shows how most of the public feels. My priorities are to adequately fund all departments and programs we have previously deemed necessary for all our betterment and to work toward a more cohesive society.