Vernon currently has a Mayor-Council form of government. Experts said we would know after three election cycles if this form serves our town well. It has become abundantly clear it does not. Our taxes increased exponentially -13% in just 2 years. Revenue has decreased year after year. Funds were misappropriated. Pet projects wasted our money. Sweet heart deals were made to out of town developers. The five member Council’s efforts to govern, on our behalf, were circumvented by a mayor with too much authority in this form, resulting in abuse of power. The 2026 budget presented late by the mayor, had a nearly 14% tax hike! The Council whittled it down to 6%, while the information they requested was blocked by the mayor. Power in the hands of one instead of five can lead to abuse of power. The Council-Manager form shifts the power to five council members who hire all the professionals, including the manager to run the day to day operations of the town. A mayor who wins a popular vote election may not have government knowledge or any business experience. The manager can be replaced by the council if not performing duties satisfactorily. The Mayor-Council form has failed our town. It is time for change to the Council-Manager form. The petition gives the voters the right to choose at the next election. Information, times and places to sign the petition are available on the Vernon VTA Facebook page as well as other local Facebook pages.
Sally Rinker
