LETTERS: Important questions on ballot

To the editor:

To the Residents of Vassalboro:

On Tuesday, November 4, 2025, Vassalboro voters will be presented with three local referendum questions. This being an off-year election the voter turnout tends to be low but please vote, these are important questions which will provide needed direction for the future of the town. I write to ask your support for question two.

Question Two asks voters to expand the Select Board from three to five members. For as long as most will remember, the Vassalboro Select Board has been made up of three resident members. This format has served the town well when everything runs smoothly and no real controversial issues arise. So why change? Much has changed in our surroundings that affect events locally.

Demands for running a town have become more involved and in many instances, more complicated. There is clearly a need for a broader perspective among decision makers. Two additional members will provide a better opportunity for research, dialog, and debate. Two additional members will raise the quorum for a vote from two to three, again, a better opportunity for a more thoroughly researched and debated decision, very possibly resulting in a faster decision making process.

Presently, two board members cannot even talk town issues on the phone or on the sidelines of a sporting event without violating state statutes, because two members having a town related discussion constitutes a meeting. In this case a private meeting, denying the opportunity for public participation.

A common concern I have heard is “we have trouble finding citizens to run for a single seat each year, how will we get more?” That has been a valid concern recently. I think the three person board has actually been a deterrent because it is so limiting and perhaps does not always give an opportunity for other viewpoints. I also feel that there are many civic-minded folks that just need a slight nudge to get involved. Vassalboro has a wealth of knowledge amongst our residents, including many retirees who might be willing to share their abilities and knowledge for the good of the town. “Build it and they will come!”

Vote “YES’ on [local] Question Two!

Doug Phillips
East Vassalboro