Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The Jericho Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee is seeking new members. The Committee's mission is to create a more diverse, welcoming, and equitable community. Working in advisory capacity to the Select Board, the Committee seeks to identify ways to ensure all residents are able to and feel welcome in participating in the civic life of the community and are well served by town government. The Committee seeks to engage the community, including local leaders, in conversations to better understand the lived experience and needs of Jericho’s historically and currently marginalized residents.

If you are interested in joining the committee, please contact Paula Carrier (PCarrier@jerichovt.gov).

In this post Jericho Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee continues to address some of the questions you've sent us regarding the vote on these articles:

ARTICLE VI Shall the Town adopt all budget articles by Australian Ballot?
ARTICLE VII Shall the Town adopt all Public questions by Australian Ballot?

What if only one article passes at the March 5th Town Meeting ?

If only Article VI passes, all budget items will be voted by ballot going forward while public questions will continue to be voted from the floor. Conversely, if only Article VII passes, all public questions will be voted by ballot going forward while budget items will continue to be voted from the floor.

Am I correct that those who may want this to pass because of their inability to attend Town Meeting, will need to attend to vote on these 2024 articles:

That is correct. While we know there are some people who cannot attend no matter what, if you have the ability to make it, your presence is essential to pass these articles. One cannot vote by proxy. For residents who are able and may be indifferent to the outcome, please consider attending to be a voice for those who cannot attend!

Town Meeting will be held in the auditorium at Mount Mansfield Union High School on Tuesday, March 5th. The meeting begins at 9 AM. If you are not registered to vote, there will be people at the high school who can register you.

Do I need to be in the auditorium from 9AM on in order to vote for Articles VI and VII?

No, you do not. You can arrive later than 9AM and still vote on Articles VI and VII, so long as you are there when they come up on the agenda. The first agenda item is the budget and takes quite a bit of time to get through.

The meeting will be livestreamed in the library for those who might want to sit removed from the main room until the vote comes up, at which point you will need to join everyone in the auditorium to vote.

Additionally, MMCTV will livestream the event on their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MMCTV

You can watch the online stream from wherever is best for you and then come to the high school auditorium before the articles come up.

If you are working, or unable to watch the livestream, and would like us to text you when it is almost time, please send us an email with your cell number, DEIchair@jerichovt.gov.

If we can help provide rides or make any other accommodations, please let us know.

This post addresses 3 more questions about Article VI: Shall the Town adopt all budget articles by Australian Ballot? and Article VII: Shall the Town adopt all Public questions by Australian Ballot?

If a Town Meeting item is important enough to a voter, they will make the time to show up.

There are various reasons why individuals may not be able to attend Town Meeting. Disabilities can pose physical barriers, making it challenging for some to participate. Others, who are immunocompromised, may need to avoid large crowds to protect their health. Caregivers might have responsibilities that prevent them from attending. Work obligations also limit people's availability. Not all employers provide vacation time - some folks are only paid for the hours they work. Attending a 4 - 5 hour meeting can cause financial hardship for those living paycheck-to-paycheck.

In the Jericho Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee's survey, several respondents used the word "disenfranchised" to describe how they felt about not being able to vote during Town Meeting. For some, Town Meeting is not democracy in action, rather it impedes their ability to advocate and vote for budget items or policies that reflect their needs and concerns.

I would miss discussion, hearing all sides, finding consensus. It feels like one more step towards not talking to our neighbors.

Yes, Town Meeting discussion can be informative. However, it's hard to say whether we really hear all sides during Town Meeting. Some people find it very intimating to speak in public and may be hesitant to express their views. Talking to our neighbors is important and there could be other ways in which these conversations occur. A facilitated discussion during an informational meeting could serve the function of "hearing all sides."

Has Jericho tried changing it to the weekend? Or the evening?

The Town of Jericho has held Town Meeting on a Saturday and other towns have held meetings in the evening. However, a change in time or day has not been shown to increase participation beyond the usual attendees. While changing the day or time of a meeting might make it easier to attend for those with work responsibilities, it does not address the inability of certain marginalized groups to attend regardless of the time or location. Moving the Town Budget and all Public Questions to Australian ballot would allow voters to request an absentee ballot (and therefore vote from home) or vote anytime between 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM at the polling location.

To read more Frequently Asked Questions about Australian ballot, please visit the JDEI web page (https://jerichovt.org/diversity-equity-inclusion). You can also email us - DEIchair@jerichovt.gov to share your questions, thoughts, and feedback.

And remember, you must vote from the floor this March 5th on Articles VI and VII.

In this post Jericho Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee addresses some of the questions you've sent us regarding these 2024 articles:

ARTICLE VI Shall the Town adopt all budget articles by Australian Ballot?
ARTICLE VII Shall the Town adopt all Public questions by Australian Ballot?

How Can I Vote on These Articles?

You must vote in-person, on the floor during Town Meeting, March 5th, held at MMU. Town Meeting begins at 9 am. It is difficult to predict when Articles VI and VII will come up for the vote. Since Jericho's charter does not allow for Australian ballot for these types of questions, you will need to be presence at the time for the floor vote and have your voice heard.

Please note, this floor vote will decide if Jericho moves Australian ballot next year. It is not an just an advisory vote or an endorsement of the idea.

What is the role of an informational meeting? Could residents propose an amendment to the budget during the informational meeting and have that amendment included in the Australian ballot?

The role of the informational meeting is to describe, in detail, each line item of the budget that
has been warned. This meeting's goal is to inform residents for voting. Residents can't amend the budget during the informational meeting. The budget cannot be changed after it has been warned and published in the Town Report.

Voting by Australian ballot changes when participation takes place - it does not eliminate it! Residents have the opportunity to participate in the budget building process during its development by attending Select Board meetings. These meetings that are hybrid (via Zoom and in-person), are warned, and open to the public. The Select Board could consider to hold more frequent and earlier budget discussions to encourage residents to participate.

In addition, any resident can get budget and public question placed on the ballot for voting by petitioning the Selectboard. While this requires planning (collecting signatures from voters, lead time to warn ballot articles), it is a tool available to all registered voters to ask their neighbors to vote on matters in the public interest that have not been addressed by the Selectboard.

What Would Make the Informational Meeting Easier to Attend?

The informational meeting can hybrid - held in an in-person location and via Zoom. These meetings will be recorded for viewing on demand. Since there is no voting during an informational meeting, everyone will have the opportunity to vote via Australian ballot on Town Meeting Day.

For more Frequently Asked Questions and other information, please visit:
https://jerichovt.org/diversity-equity-inclusion

Please email DEIchair@jerichovt.gov to share your questions, thoughts, and feedback.

This post addresses 2 specific questions related to voting by Australian ballot that were raised in the Fall 2023 Town Meeting survey:

• What will happen to the community building that occurs during Town Meeting?

• How can residents shape the Town budget?

Town Budget Informational Meetings

The DEI Committee invites you share your ideas for ways to build community AND make voting accessible to all residents. Many towns host hybrid informational meetings prior to voting to build community and understanding of the budget and public questions on the ballot. These are accessible events, that enable residents to attend via Zoom or in-person. For those who can attend in-person, there is food, information tables for community organizations and town committees, and opportunities to connect with neighbors. The Zoom option allows all Jericho residents to listen to the budget presentation and ask questions.

Williston, VT hosts a different type of Town Meeting that maintains some of the floor voting traditions. Those articles that enable that Town to conduct business (such as collecting taxes, authority to borrow money) are floor AND Zoom votes, while budget, town officers, and other public questions are Australian ballot votes. This way, budgetary decision-making is still accessible to all and some the Town Meeting Day traditions are preserved.

While these informational meetings do not allow residents to amend the budget, they do help residents plan for how they can more actively participate in the next budget development cycle.

How does Voting by Australian Ballot Change Public Participation?

Public participation in the Town's budget process is valuable. Voting by Australian ballot changes when participation takes place - it does not eliminate it! Residents can provide feedback and suggest changes during the budget development process. Budget development occurs during regular Select Board meetings. These meetings that are hybrid (via Zoom and in-person) and open to the public. More frequent and earlier budget discussions could be scheduled to encourage residents to contribute to these discussions.

In addition, residents can get public questions and budget articles on the Australian ballot for voting on Town Meeting day. While this requires planning to collect required signatures and meet public notice deadlines, it is a tool available to all to ask neighbors to vote on matters that are important you and are in the public interest.

Since 1962, the Town of Jericho has been using the Australian ballot to elect its Town and School Officers. And for the last 10 years, all Jericho school budgets have used the Australian ballot. During the peak COVID pandemic years (2021 and 2022), Jericho used the Australian ballot to approve the Town Budget and pass Public Questions to keep residents safe.*

Use of Australian Ballot in Other VT Towns

2023 data from the Vermont Secretary of State's Office indicates:

• 77 of towns voted by ballot for their town budgets

• 97 of towns voted by ballot for their Town Public Questions

• 8 towns use ballots depending on the type of question

• Note, the voting method for town budgets w16 towns was not available.

• Several others voted to switch to Australian ballot starting in 2024.

View a map of which towns vote for their Town Budget by Australian ballot

View a map of which towns vote for their Town Public Questions by Australian ballot

Public Participation in Towns that Use Australian Ballot

The Jericho Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee contacted towns of similar size to Jericho that have moved to Australian ballot for Town Budgets and Public Questions to see what they do on Town Meeting. Most towns that we contacted host informational meetings prior to voting. These meetings are key in helping residents to make informed decisions. And, they also serve as a community-building event with discussion, camaraderie, and food.

Using Australian ballot does not eliminate public participation in regarding the town budget and public questions. Rather it shifts when participation takes place. While the Selectboard has always encouraged the public to attend their meetings throughout the year, it will be even more important to encourage residents to weigh during budget development.

Examples of Vermont Towns & Use of Australian Ballot

TOWN OF HINESBURG | Population: ~4,700 | Registered Voters: 4,187
In 2021Hinesburg voted to adopt all budget articles and public questions by Australian ballot. Previously, they held floor votes the evening before Town Meeting and voted on elected positions and the school budget by Australian ballot on Town Meeting day. They have replaced the floor vote the evening before with an informational meeting.

TOWN OF CASTLETON | Population: ~4,497 | Registered Voters: 2,801
Castleton voted to adopt the Australian ballot in 1984, effective in 1985. In May of 1997, they voted to list every line item for the budget on the Australian ballot, making for a long ballot! They hold an informational meeting the night before.

TOWN OF BRANDON | Population: ~4,100 | Registered Voters: 2,830
Brandon has been using Australian ballots since the early 90s. They have a meeting on the Monday evening before voting day. In 2014, there was a petition to go back to voting from the floor, but it was soundly rejected.

TOWN OF ST. JOHNSBURY | Population: ~5,815 | Registered Voters: 4,742
St. Johnsbury moved to Australian Ballot approximately 20 years ago. They hold public budget meetings prior to voting. Attendance tends to be low.

TOWN OF LYNDON | Population: ~5,617 | Registered Voters: 3,742
Prior to COVID, Lyndon held Town Meeting to vote their budgets (Town & Highway) and public questions from the floor. Less than 100 people attended. During the last three years, they have held a hybrid informal meeting, which has low attendance.

* COVID in 2024

While Vermont is not seeing the same levels of hospitalizations or deaths as occurred in 2020 or 2021, there is currently a surge, with estimates that cases will continue to rise through mid-February. Columbia University Irving Medical Center projects (as reported in "Today") "1 in 3 Americans infected with COVID during this timeframe." This can lead to increases in long COVID, chronic illness, and more people missing work or important events, and immunocompromised people not being able to access essential services, like health care. We note this to bring awareness that many who are immunocompromised will not be able to exercise their right to vote at Town Meeting because they cannot take the chance of being exposed to COVID or other infectious diseases.

This Town Meeting Jericho will take Floor Votes on whether to adopt all Budget Articles by Australian ballot and a separate vote on whether to adopt all Public Questions by Australian ballot. In this post, we will share Jericho turnout statistics and survey results.

Town Meeting occurs on the first Tuesday of March starting at 9 am. At Town Meeting residents gather for 3-6 hours to discuss or amend and then take a floor vote on Town Budget and Public Questions one at a time. Floor Voting is public, voice votes among those present and occurs throughout the 3-6 hour meeting. On the same Tuesday (or earlier using absentee ballot) Town Officials and School Budget are voted on by Australian ballot. Voting by Australian Ballot takes 5-15 minutes: voters mark their choices privately on uniform printed ballots anytime from 7 am to 7 pm.

The VT Secretary of State reports Jericho voter turnout statistics as follows

• Floor Vote turnout consistently averages 6.6% (266 voters)
• Australian ballot averages 19% (758 voters) for non-presidential election years and 49% (2003 voters) for presidential election

The Jericho Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee (JDEIC) conducted a survey of Jericho residents about Town Meeting and Australian Ballot. Of 72 Survey responses:

• About a third of those respondents regularly attend Town Meeting and a little more than a third had never attended.
• 56% reported finding it difficult to attend Town Meeting because of work, family and other obligations or for health or disability reasons.
• 90% of respondents agreed that voting by Australian ballot would provide greater access to town decision making
• 74% said they’d be more likely to vote on Town Articles and the Town Budget if they could vote by Australian ballot
• 14% of respondents agreed that Australian ballot would negatively impact Jericho’s democratic process.

The JDEIC Town Meeting Survey also asked respondents to share concerns and benefits for moving away from Floor Votes and to Australian Ballot. Overall, concerns were primarily around losing the ability to discuss and directly amend articles immediately prior to voting. Another concern was that those voting on town issues would be less informed. Overall, benefits included greater and more equitable participation and representation, the privacy of the vote, and the ease of voting by ballot.

As we approach Town Meeting Day, the JDEIC encourages the voters of Jericho to reflect on these issues and engage in conversation. See the FAQ section on the right side of this web page for additional information and details regarding Town Meeting.

In our next post, the JDEIC will share what Town Meeting looks like for towns that have switched to Australian Ballot for BOTH Town Budget and Public Questions.

The Australian Ballot is a voting system where voters mark their choices privately on uniform printed ballots. This is how Jericho voters currently decide on the School Budget and elect Town Officials. (Note, this is how all voting was conducted during the pandemic.)

A Floor Vote occurs during Town Meeting. At a floor meeting, voters can engage in discussion to clarify or amend items; voting on items occurs by those present, using a public voice vote. Jericho currently uses floor voting to decide on the Town Budget and public questions (e.g. Shall the town exempt from property taxation the lands and premises known as the Winooski Valley Park District for a period of 5 years?).

With the urging of the JDEIC, on Dec. 21, 2023 the Jericho Selectboard added the following articles to be discussed and voted on the floor at Town Meeting:

• Shall the Town of Jericho adopt all budget articles by Australian ballot?
• Shall the Town of Jericho adopt all public questions by Australian ballot?
  

The Jericho Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee (JDEIC) is chartered to explore ways to make Jericho a more inclusive community. The JDEIC has engaged in extensive study and debate of the extent to which Town Meeting is accessible to all, including a survey of Jericho residents. The results of JDEIC Survey along with results of broader research efforts, including Jericho floor vote and Australian ballot voter turnout statistics of the last 10 years; how many VT towns use Australian Ballot for all votes and how long have they been doing so and more can be viewed at the end of this post.

The JDEIC is asking the voters of Jericho to reflect on our current Town Meeting practices. What is the “most democratic” way of doing business? What is the most inclusive and accessible way to engage voters? How are you most likely to participate and vote? Do we want to continue with the system we are using, or make a total or partial shift to Australian ballot? If we make a change, how do we want that change to look? How do we create a hybrid version of our current system (minus the voting) that preserves the ability to share thoughts and engage in dialogue with each other?

As we approach Town Meeting Day, the JDEIC encourages the voters of Jericho to reflect on these practices, review the information the JDEIC has gathered, and engage in conversation. You can reach out to JDEIC members directly or to the Committee as a whole using the email, DEIchair@jerichovt.gov. Please re-visit this page and engage in the ongoing discussion– more information will be added over the coming weeks, including a space to engage in public discourse.

CLICK HERE FOR SURVEY SUMMARY

Since October 7, there have been increasing incidents of anti-Semitic and anti-Arabic/Islamic rhetoric, threats and violence across the United States. Arabic, Muslim and Jewish Americans have been victims of hate crimes. People from those groups across the country are feeling fearful and unsafe.

While we would like to believe that our town, and our state, are immune to ethnic/religious hatred and violence, the shooting of three Palestinian-American students in Burlington on November 25th makes it clear that we are not.

We, Jericho’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee (JDEI), are concerned for the emotional and physical wellbeing of all Jericho residents. We recognize that our town’s people may have different opinions, and respect their First Amendment rights to share them and engage in respectful and peaceful discourse.

We condemn hatred and violence of any kind, and are in agreement that such have no place in Jericho. As our recently adopted Declaration of Inclusion states, Jericho is committed to being a welcoming place for all people.

(Our signatures/names)

Sarahjane Dube

Nathan Ellison

Sonnet Lawson

Maria Rinaldi

Wendy Verrei

Brian Walsh