SHARON — At a quiet Town Meeting with little debate, voters on Tuesday approved a $1.66 million budget for municipal expenses.
Much of the meeting dealt with articles concerned with the environmental impacts of the town’s energy usage; both were approved.
A measure calling for the town to raise $5,950 through property taxes to go toward hiring a full-time regional energy coordinator drew the most debate. If hired, the coordinator would audit energy usage and advise town officials on how to reduce energy costs and environmental damage.
The job would also be funded by Barnard, Norwich, Woodstock, Thetford, Strafford and Pomfret. Most of the other towns also approved funding, though Pomfret rejected it.
Another article, approved nearly unanimously and without debate, called for a letter to be sent from the town of Sharon to state officials urging Vermont to halt all fossil fuel infrastructure projects; commit to transitioning to 90% renewable energy for the state; and ensure that the transition is “fair and equitable for all residents, with no harm to marginalized groups or rural communities.”
The measure also called for town officials to reduce Sharon’s greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2030.
Sharon Energy Committee Chairman Ryan Haac said that although the measure does not commit any money to fighting climate change, “I like to think of it as committing our consciousness.”
On Monday evening, Sharon voters approved a school budget of $4.78 million, which corresponds to a 4.24% increase from last year in spending per equalized pupil.
School Board member Donald Shaw was reelected to a three-year term as school director.
Elections by Australian ballot on Tuesday were uncontested — Galen E. Mudgett won as town moderator, Ken Wright, collector of delinquent taxes, Helen Barrett, lister, and Kevin Gish, Selectboard.
Rohan Chakravarty can be reached at rchakravarty@vnews.com.
Correction
Ryan Haac is chairman of the Sharon Energy Committee. His name was misspelled in an earlier version of this story.