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Explore our coverage of government and politics.

The Promise — And Limits — Of Local Control In Vermont

Early voters casts a ballot in Plainfield in 2008.
Toby Talbot
/
AP
Early voters casts a ballot in Plainfield in 2008. "Vermont Edition" looks at the challenges around local control in Vermont.

When Vermont towns want to add sidewalks, change traffic patterns or add a "rooms and meals" tax, they usually have to go to Montpelier for permission. It's one way "local control" may be less local, and offer less control, than many might think. We're talking about Vermont's tradition of local control, it's limits in 2019 and efforts to bring more decisions back to the local level. 

Susan Clark, Middlesex town moderator and co-author of Slow Democracy: Rediscovering Community, Bringing Decision Making Back Homejoins the show to discuss the value of local control and how its implementation in Vermont has changed over time. 

And Karen Horn, director of public policy for the Vermont League of Cities and Towns and longtime participant in her local Moretown government, talks about the mechanics of the "Dillon's Rule" form of government in Vermont and efforts to expand local decision-making in the state.

We'll also hear from Brattleboro Town Manager Peter Elwell talks about what changes the city has enacted on its own and what requires the approval of lawmakers in the capitol.

Share your thoughts or questions on local control in Vermont below.

Broadcast live on Wednesday, May 28, 2019 at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

A graduate of NYU with a Master's Degree in journalism, Mitch has more than 20 years experience in radio news. He got his start as news director at NYU's college station, and moved on to a news director (and part-time DJ position) for commercial radio station WMVY on Martha's Vineyard. But public radio was where Mitch wanted to be and he eventually moved on to Boston where he worked for six years in a number of different capacities at member station WBUR...as a Senior Producer, Editor, and fill-in co-host of the nationally distributed Here and Now. Mitch has been a guest host of the national NPR sports program "Only A Game". He's also worked as an editor and producer for international news coverage with Monitor Radio in Boston.
Matt Smith worked for Vermont Public from 2017 to 2023 as managing editor and senior producer of Vermont Edition.
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