BARRE CITY, Vt. (WCAX) – While most Vermonters voted in new mayors in March, Barre City held off until now due to flood-related delays.
Two candidates hope to replace the incumbent mayor, Jake Hemmerick, who has bowed out of the race.
One is a familiar face– former mayor Thom Lauzon is running again. The businessman served six consecutive terms as Barre’s mayor from 2006 to 2018. He’s up against Samn Stockwell, a city councilor and professor at the Community College of Vermont.
Former mayor Thom Lauzon wants his old job back.
“I think what they need is someone with my experience and some of my connections and some of my record of getting things done,” said Lauzon, a Republican.
Current City Councilor Samn Stockwell envisions a fresh start.
“My work in human services brings an understanding of what it’s like to not be welcome, to not find a place to end, to understand the struggles of people who don’t have many advantages,” said Stockwell, a Democrat.
Endorsed by the outgoing mayor, Stockwell would be Barre’s first woman and openly gay mayor if elected.
At the top of both candidates’ lists is creating a flood-resilient city. Stockwell says she’d push to move development away from floodplains while supporting people who currently live in them, relying on federal, state and grant funds.
“We have to make it safe for people. We have to help them make it safe by rebuilding in ways that are flood resilient,” Stockwell said.
Lauzon wants similar changes but on a tighter timeline. He wants Barre residents to cover a $100,000 pre-engineering plan that would lay the groundwork for a $50 million project promoted by Gov. Phil Scott to restore the city’s north end.
“It’s May of 2024 and we don’t have a plan. We have to move more quickly,” Lauzon said.
Property taxes and the school budget are other hot-button issues. Stockwell says increasing either on Barre residents’ dime isn’t in the cards right now.
“Adding to that tax burden, it’s just probably more than this population can deal with right now,” Stockwell said.
While Lauzon wants to decrease the school budget, he says increased property taxes are crucial to lessen a six-figure operating deficit he fears is on the horizon.
“It’s not fun news for the voters and it’s not fun news for the administration,” Lauzon said. “But the sooner we start talking about it and identifying solutions to the problems, the sooner we identify solutions to the problems.”
Residents can vote in person on May 14 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Barre City Civic Center Auditorium.