RIPTON — Ripton residents at their town meeting approved all the articles on their warning, including two advisory referenda that suggested local residents be given more of a say in the election of their local school directors and potential future closure of their local school.
Ripton was one of four Addison Central School District communities that permitted a public vote on two petitioned items that the ACSD board had declined to place on the district ballot. The first article, which recommended that each ACSD board member be elected only by the voters of his or her hometown, passed by a 216-27 tally. Candidates are currently elected at-large in the seven-town district. The second item, which suggested that no ACSD school be closed unless such a move is endorsed by a majority of voters in the town in which the school is located, passed by a 196-32 tally.
Residents OK’d a combined General Fund/Highway Fund budget of $656,692 for fiscal year 2021.
Under article 6, residents discussed the future of their town office building at 1311 Route 125, as well as planning for build a new salt/sand shed.
In other action at Ripton town meeting, residents OK’d:
•  $41,000 to support the Ripton Volunteer Fire Department and First Response.
•  $6,000 to help the Ripton Cemetery Commission.
•  Support for an advisory referendum urging state and federal officials to pass legislation targeting climate change. The referendum also asks the local energy committee to brainstorm ways of fighting climate change, including setting a goal of making the community carbon neutral by 2030.
There were no contested local elections in Ripton this year. Those elected unopposed included Laurie Cox, selectboard, three years; Molly Witters, moderator, one year; and Kathleen Sullivan, delinquent tax collector, one year.
Local residents helped decide two races for the Addison Central School District board. One of them involved Ellie Bishop challenging Jennifer Nuceder for a three-year term representing Salisbury on the 13-member panel. The other featured Christin Gardner and incumbents Mary Gill and Victoria Jette for two available slots representing Middlebury. Nuceder topped Bishop, 1,920 to 1,289, while Gill and Jette earned 2,323 and 2,278 tallies, respectively, in their successful re-election bids. Gardner finished out of the running with 1,446 votes.
Ripton voters on March 3 joined Bridport, Cornwall, Middlebury, Salisbury, Shoreham and Weybridge folks in fielding an ACSD K-12 education budget proposal of $39,507,837 for the 2020-2021 academic year, and a 2020-2021 Patricia A. Hannaford Career Center budget of $3,854,752  (see related story).
In the Democratic presidential primary, Bernie Sanders topped the field with 134 votes, while Joe Biden finished second with 44 tallies. Also receiving votes were Elizabeth Warren (30), Michael Bloomberg (14) and Tom Steyer (6).
In the Republican primary, President Donald Trump led the field with 15 tallies, while Bill Weld finished with 3.