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The past and present of Town Meeting Day

Town Meeting Day is a method of direct civic engagement and and a longstanding community building tradition. It's a time when Vermont’s 247 municipalities each decide how they’ll spend their local budgets.

We begin by hearing about some significant votes taking place around the state. ¿ªÔÆÌåÓý's Nina Keck talks about the Rutland mayoral race, and reporter Lexi Krupp explains Lyndon's vote to keep Town Meeting an in-person affair, rather than switch to Australian ballot.

Then, we dig into the history of town meetings in Vermont with Middlesex town moderator Susan Clark. She is the co-author of many books about democracy in Vermont, including All Those in Favor: Rediscovering the Secrets of Town Meeting and Community. She discusses the times when Vermont towns voted on national and international issues that extended far beyond the purview of local budgets.

Then, we share a 1982 NPR story by Leslie Breeding about a town meeting in Strafford.

Broadcast live on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

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Mikaela Lefrak is the host and senior producer of Vermont Edition. Her stories have aired nationally on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, Marketplace, The World and Here & Now. A seasoned local reporter, Mikaela has won two regional Edward R. Murrow awards and a Public Media Journalists Association award for her work.
Jon has spent his entire adult life working in broadcast journalism. He began his career in Baltimore at WYPR, and has since been a producer for WHYY, Vox, The Majority Report with Sam Seder, and The Talkhouse. Jon is a lifelong recording artist whose projects include Repelican, The Art Department, and Dungeonesse. He lives with his wife in Panton, Vermont.