To the Editor:

Tuesday, March 3, was a sad day for the residents of Readsboro, the sale of the albatross, aka Readsboro Electric, and the approval of the upgrade of the town water system were defeated.

Why anyone would want to have the town continue to own the electric company is unimaginable! What are its assets? None!

Think about the liabilities alone—line and pole destruction, another ice storm, the need for properly trained linemen, proactive replacement of poles and lines, and on and on. Why we did not vote to allow a professional company to make the purchase and thus alleviate all the town headaches is beyond my comprehension. In my opinion, the liabilities of the electric company so greatly outweigh any miniscule asset it affords.

On the other hand, how could we deny an upgrade to the town water supply? Voters, please remember that by not taking care of the needed changes now, you have set the table for a far worse cost in the future. For those who do not benefit directly from the town water system, remember you do indirectly benefit, the school uses town water, the town public works departments use town water, the churches use town water, several of the town’s businesses use town water, and last, but not least, the town’s fire hydrant system uses town water. Was this not enough reason to vote for a bond?

As a result of the elections, I am now curious what office hours the town clerk, treasurer, and utility clerk (all positions now held by one person) will be maintaining? The utility clerk is a 30-hour position; how much time will be devoted to the other two positions, or are we going to see assistants performing some of these tasks? If assistants are needed to fulfill the duties of these positions, will those persons be registered voters in Readsboro or out-of-towners, and most important, who would be funding these assistant positions?

I, for one, hope any assistant would not be funded from additional town coffers, but rather from the already appropriated salaries for these positions. If assistants are needed to provide the services townspeople deserve, the town should not have to pay for two people doing the same job.

Carol Marchegiani

Readsboro