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Trust Transparency

I walked around town and through certain neighborhoods on Monday and Tuesday before the budget vote to ask people if they were aware of the vote scheduled for May 14. I was shocked at the number of Madison residents and Madison taxpayers who were completely unaware there was a budget vote scheduled. Every year without fail, the town does the absolute minimum to notify taxpayers of the referendum votes: there was mention made in The Source newspaper, and two digital road signs were posted. People who don’t read the paper, or who don’t drive on roads where two signs were posted, or aren’t glued to the Madison Facebook sites would not know budget voting was held Tuesday.

The Board of Selectmen (BOS) could use the same notification system of calling or texting each taxpayer through the same system they used during COVID-19, but they choose not to, even though the phone is the chief method of communication by all. In truth, the BOS doesn’t contact taxpayers by phone because it is to the advantage of the local government and education department employees that people are not aware of the vote. After all, it is more likely those budgets will pass with the votes from those who stand to benefit from their passage. There are many ways to ensure the maximum number of taxpayers are notified of an impending budget vote, but that might not fulfill the agenda of those who benefit from passage.

Whenever there is a future referendum, the BOS and Board of Finance should be required to hold the referendum when the maximum number of taxpayers will be in town and make notifying residents as much of a priority as they do campaigning for office. Only then can we trust transparency is a government priority.

Teresa VandenDolder

Madison