Once again, town meeting day gave rise to spirited debates over issues large and small across Vermont. In tiny Belvedere, which again achieved the highest Real Democracy score of 94, residents shelved wage increases for two town officials, and representatives were given an earful on the condition of the local roads, according to two students who attended the meeting.

In larger Westford and Williston – two towns that have moved away from town meeting as a decision making meeting and to Australian Ballot for most items – Real Democracy scores dipped lower, mostly due to low attendance and low participation rates.

Environmental issues took center stage at a number of towns, including Leicester where residents grappled with concerns over using insecticides to manage mosquito populations, in Jericho where the merits of road salt alternatives were discussed, and in Underhill where herbicide usage was debated. 

Act 46, the contentious school merger issue, came up nearly everywhere. In fact in Huntington, the discussion ran more the three hours. Other topics of debate were more obscure, as was the case in Fayston, where residents finally voted to end the centuries-old fence viewer position – a job whose origins date back to when the state was primarily agricultural. Other towns like Hinesburg spent longer discussing improving a single intersection than they did on their million dollar town budget.