What is Montpeliers greatest asset?
The greatest asset is the people who live and work here. I’m impressed with the quality of leadership both at city hall and in our school system. The people here have a vision. We all have a vision, and with the vision can come concern. How do we protect that asset? Unlike other assets, like a mountaintop or an historic building, Montpelier can’t be frozen in amber. It’s got to change. The other extreme is Williston where the character of a small town has been changed drastically over time. My view of the right balance is we need some growth. I have the feeling that we may not have the critical mass of people for Montpelier to be operating efficiently. We have certain fixed costs to run the city and schools and with 8,000 people, the cost and weight of the tax burden is becoming too great. Nobody wants to become a Williston, but nobody wants to become a Gloversville, New York either. I disagree with some people who say that more people and development in Montpelier will necessarily inc
The people that live here. They are very giving in terms of participation. They are supportive of the businesses that exist in the area, and community events. By the same token we need to keep the tax rate down. Our tax base is depreciating in value, in part because there is so little competition in the real estate market. Property owners are losing incentive to keep their properties in good shape because there is so little incentive to do so. How do we protect that asset? We need to keep working with the Montpelier Downtown Community Association to bring businesses that provide products people want. More businesses will keep people here and keep their money circulating locally. One of the big hurdles is the condition of our roads. What I’m hearing from residents is that the condition of the roads, Isabel Circle, Hebert Road, Saint Paul Street, are terrible. It’s going to take a lot of money to fix them and it’s been left too long. Evaluate the council’s performance. What’s been done w
