​Alling wins in North Hero; All ballot items pass

North Hero Assistant Town Clerk Lisa Keyworth tabulates absentee ballots in North Hero Tuesday. Photo by ROB SWANSON, Islander Photojournalist.

By MIKE DONOGHUE
Islander Staff Writer

NORTH HERO -- Andy Alling nipped Craig Greene 135-130  to capture a 3-year seat on the North Hero Planning Commission -- the only contested race on Town Meeting Day in the island community.

Town Clerk Corinn Julow reported all special ballot items were approved during early and day-long voting Tuesday.

The annual town budget of $980,182 was approved 305-55.

Among the special ballot items was an article seeking authorization for the Selectboard to spend up to $30,000 to defray the anticipated cost of moving the town offices out of the North Hero Elementary School.  The offices may land at the North Hero Community Hall next to Hero's Welcome on U.S. 2.  The vote was 268-90.

Voters also approved four police, fire and rescue ballot items, including spending $62,920 for 22 hours of patrol each week by the Grand Isle County Sheriff's Department.  It passed 288-74.

Selectboard member Ben Joseph had proposed adding a couple of hours of patrol each week, but the full board voted down the idea, 4-1, during the budget writing process.

The closest article was whether to appropriate $10,000 to the Pelots Restoration Association for the cleaning and removal of invasive weeds from Pelots Bay, Carry Bay, Hibbard Bay and Bow & Arrow Point.  The approval, 218-145 this year, is an annual special ballot item designed to help clean up Lake Champlain.

More details about Town Meeting Day will be in next week's print edition of The Islander.  The Islander went to the printers while the polls were still open.

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