Wilmington rejects solar project
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
By Kristopher Radder, Brattleboro ReformerWILMINGTON — In a 106-92 vote, residents rejected a plan to obtain a bond to build a solar array on top of the Public Safety Facility.
Bob Bois, chairman of the Wilmington Energy Committee, said the project was brought to the committee more than a year ago.
“[W]e nurtured it, brought it to the town manager a couple of times,” he said from the floor at annual Town Meeting on Tuesday during debate on the article, which was voted on by ballot throughout the day. “With regard to cost, this is about savings.”
PHOTOS: Town Meeting Day in Vermont
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Purchase local photos online.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
Susie Webster-Toleno of Brattleboro fills out her ballot at the polling station in Brattleboro during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
Lila Thorne of Brattleboro fills out her ballot at the polling station in Brattleboro during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
Nicole Streeter of Brattleboro and her two children, Ryan, 9, and Jasper, 5, check in to vote at the polling station in Brattleboro during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
Mark Anderson of Brattleboro fills out his ballot at the polling station in Brattleboro during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
Tamsin Haskell, 3, of Brattleboro, looks around the polling station while parents vote at the polling station in Brattleboro during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
Kathleen Nutter of Wilmington casts her ballot at polling station in Wilmington during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
Marcia Hamilton, Justice of the Peace in Marlboro, puts mail-in ballots into the ballot boxes as they are marked in at the polling station in Marlboro during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
Marcia Hamilton, Justice of the Peace in Marlboro, puts mail-in ballots into the ballot boxes as they are marked in at the polling station in Marlboro during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
Margaret Wimberger of Newfane knits while listening to town business at the Newfane’s Union Hall during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
Erich Kruger of Dummerston addresses the Select Board during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
Jessica Everlith of Dummerston asks to amend the budget to add $12,000 to the library budget to keep staffing at the library’s children’s section during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
Timothy Johnson of Bellows Falls fills out his ballot at the Bellows Falls polling station during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
David Buckley of Bellows Falls fills out his ballot at the Bellows Falls polling station during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
David Buckley of Bellows Falls casts his ballot at the Bellows Falls polling station during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
Annie Landerberger of Newfane addresses the moderator during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
People head to town halls, school gyms and various polling locations to make their voices heard in local town governance issues during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
Jeanette White of Putney addresses the moderator during Town Meeting Day in Vermont on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
Select Board member John Lebron said the price of the project will be about $192,000 after a federal rebate and result in about $2,500 of energy savings per month.
The solar array is anticipated to last more than 25 years. Bois called the Public Safety Facility’s roof “a perfect location” for the project.
“It has space, it has sun,” he said. “It’s almost a no-brainer.”
Gary Henry said he’s “a big fan of solar energy” and “saving money … but I think that we’re missing some of the bottomline stuff mechanically, in my opinion.”
“It’s ridiculous to spend another $305,000 to what we have now,” Doug Wheeler said, calling the project “a waste of money.”
Responders to a request for proposals were asked to describe how they will deal with the existing radio equipment on site. The bids would be opened if the vote was affirmative.
Since solar can have some radio frequency interference, Police Chief Matt Murano said he reached out to the department’s radio vendor to learn about the issue.
“It took years in one case to reduce interference to a usable level,” he said. “I can’t speak a lot to that technology. I know there is no magic wand, no inverters that can cancel out.”
Murano said he explored the potential for hosting radio equipment offsite and determined that it isn’t feasible.
Assistant Fire Chief Bill Spirka said he appreciates the attempt to save money but he worries about the potential danger to lives given the possible radio interference issues.
“My understanding is it can be shielded,” Town Manager Scott Tucker said of the radio equipment. “They have to convince us of that or else we won’t go forward.”
Select Board Chairman Tom Fitzgerald estimated engineering would cost about $12,000 to $15,000. He said the board voted 3-2 to bring the project forward.
An approximately $3.5 million General Fund budget for fiscal year 2027 passed on the floor. Paired with the approximately $2 million road budget, residents said the increase is about 7.5 percent over the current fiscal year.
Fitzgerald said the town changed health insurance programs to save money this year.
“They wanted an additional $300,000 and we just weren’t going to do it,” he said. “The increase is still close to $100,000 even though we dropped the program down.”
Rather than request funding for new dump trucks, current trucks are being rehabilitated, Fitzgerald said. With state mandates for certifications and a lack of job applications, he said, “We’re really in a tough situation.”
Budget sessions occurred over four-and-a-half months.
“We tried to eliminate anything at all that wasn’t needed,” Fitzgerald said.
Raises for employees are based on meeting or exceeding median wages based on comparable positions, Tucker said. Experience and expansion of duties are considered.
“We also focus on recruitment and retention,” Tucker said.
Tucker said the police department has especially faced challenges in finding new recruits. Difficulties in securing housing and growing prices for necessities such as food also contribute to the labor situation.
“We’re trying to take care of our folks so they can take care of you and provide the services you’re used to,” Tucker said.
Asked about the sustainability of having large increases year after year, Fitzgerald said, “We’re holding on for dear life.”
“Where’s the end?” he said. “I don’t know. It could taper off in a few years, but we need to reimburse and pay these folks for what their worth just to hold them in place.”
A motion by John Boyd to reduce the road budget by about $380,000 failed. He suggested not having any paving done in the next fiscal year then create a capital fund for the purpose.
“Some of these roads need to be repaired,” Fitzgerald said. “This isn’t a matter of pulling the plug. … The paving, as an option, has to be there.”
Tucker told the Reformer the town paves “a certain amount each year so that we don’t fall behind.”
“It’s not a lot of money these days with prices the way they are,” he said.
Other articles established a capital fund for the Public Safety Facility, provided allocations to nonprofits and raised money to put in capital reserve funds.
State Rep. Emily Carris Duncan, Windham-6, provided an award to Twin Valley Middle High School soccer coach Buddy Hayford, who secured his 500th win this past season and was honored in a resolution from the Legislature. He’s the only coach in Vermont history to achieve the feat. He also was named the 2025 Small Public School Boys Coach of the Year by United Soccer Coaches.
“We’re really proud of him,” Carris Duncan said. “His example inspires leaders.”
Kathy Larsen received the Wilmington Police Department Community Service Award. She helped another resident dealing with cognitive decline get the assistance they needed, Police Chief Matt Murano said.
“Everything’s about teamwork,” Larsen said. “I couldn’t do it without everybody. It’s all teamwork.”