EAST MONTPELIER — Around 100 townspeople turned out Tuesday for the annual meeting to approve money for a slew of community groups — and sign off on a pair of resolutions to divorce local issues from the fray of national politics and build neighborly bonds.
Residents Andy Christiansen, Nona Estrin and Katherine Clark, the authors of the resolutions, condemned the Trump administration’s actions across the board. Speaking to their peers, they encouraged the citizens of East Montpelier to lean on each other during times of national discord before attendees unanimously adopted both measures.
“I know this is hard to believe, but this grandfather was a child once … We used to march from the school down to the East Village Cemetery and there we sang patriotic songs,” Christiansen said.
“‘America the Beautiful’ and other songs weren’t that important to me … But now seeing what is happening around me, seeing the president who mocks our veterans and calls those that sacrifice their lives as suckers and losers, who unilaterally cancels appropriations, agencies and actions by Congress …. the words of ‘America the Beautiful’ are the most gut wrenching and powerful words imaginable,” he said later on.
Christiansen held the attention of the East Montpelier Elementary School gymnasium with anecdotes of the past. “If we don’t want to repeat history, then for God’s sake in this moment we’d better be strong enough to learn from it,” he said.
His resolution, which drew a standing ovation, said the town condemns the government’s “moves toward authoritarianism and fascism” and calls upon Congress to “resist any effort” to give the executive branch total budget control or to help “fascist regimes elsewhere in the world.”
The second resolution was co-authored by Estrin and Clark. Estrin opened by saying it was important to have a resolution Republicans and Democrats could agree upon.
“We can reenact, I hope, the safety net of each other,” Estrin said.
Clark said the federal administration needs to “treat all people with compassion and humility.”
The pair also criticized the hasty government downsizing playing out on the national stage.
“The voters of East Montpelier,” said Clark, “urge the president to employ a scalpel, not a chainsaw, to trim government programs and departments.”
Selectboard chair Seth Gardner said he was surprised by the spontaneity of the resolutions.
“I didn’t know that was coming, but it was important. And I think it was the biggest thing. Everyone just came together on that. It added a lot to the town meeting,” Gardner said.
Resident Carolyn Shapiro said she felt particularly moved by Christiansen’s speaking out.
“I felt very strongly about that — our town should come together to deal with what’s happening federally,” Shapiro said.
“I didn’t have to get up and say it because Andy Christensen had this resolution that was so fabulous that everybody gave him a standing ovation for what he did,” she said later.
Earlier in the meeting, moderator Michael Duane led those in attendance in a vote on the two articles being voted by Australian ballot. They approved roughly $2.5 million for laying out and repairing roads and $54,558 for the Kellogg-Hubbard Library.
Those in attendance also approved articles not up for Australian ballot. The following sums were individually approved for fiscal year 2026:
$4,700 for the Four Corners Schoolhouse Associations.
$10,000 for the East Montpelier Signpost.
$4,000 for East Montpelier Trails, Inc.
$9,700 for the Montpelier Senior Activity Center.
$7,500 for Twin Valley Seniors, Inc.
$6,500 for Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice.
$7,834 for Rural Community Transportation.
$1,499 for Green Mountain Transit service along Route 2.
Then voters approved an article that lumped together $22,774 in funds going to a variety of local organizations.