To merge or not to merge . . . put to vote again
Here we are, the day has come to vote - AGAIN - whether or not Essex (the Town of ) and Essex Junction (the Village of) will merge. Read it all here and stay tuned. I doubt it will pass . . . (remember from previous posts that there are really three possible options - merge, separate ,or status quo which is that EJ is a subcommunity w/in the greater Town of Essex). We in the Village are all for NOT status quo and if this measure is defeated (remember it did pass in November but only by a slim margin), a move to separate will probably happen . . . . and if that’s defeated/thwarted I wonder what happens. Are we prisoners of the Town? (How’s that for partisan bickering, but I’m getting ahead of myself.) Maybe this “marriage” will happen today, though it will no doubt be a shotgun wedding if it does. There are some very unhappy people out there who do NOT want us to merge and will do ANYTHING they can think of (probably legally anyway) to stop it. I’m a separatist at heart but I admit to not wanting them to “win” and keep things in the status quo any longer. Oh well.
Updated 1/24 - indeed, the merger did NOT pass. No surprise. Details can be read here
It was a very close vote. Basically everyone in the village voted for and everyone in the town against. The vote was closer than I thought all the same. A few exceptions (like me - separatist that I am - I just could vote to “marry” someone who doesn’t want me) but mostly that’s how it went. No shotgun wedding. No tax relief. “They” won.
