rhedit.us.publicus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070 -
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Published on: 3/4/2007
Last Visited: 3/4/2007
In 1779, Vermont enacted a law that actually prohibited such requests at town meeting, but the statute only stayed on the books until 1797, said Paul Gillies, an attorney, former deputy secretary of state and Berlin town meeting moderator.
"I was shocked to see it," he said.
In Berlin, appropriation requests are on the ballot, in part because discussions about them just took so long.
"It was my impression as a moderator that it was killing town meeting," he said.
The surprising thing is that the number of such requests hasn't grown faster than it has, given that they are typically approved by voters, Gillies said.