Well, that kind of left a hole

[vtfireman85]

As some of you know i have spent many years on my towns select board, 17 years in fact, and 4 as chair. Considering an upcoming change in my legal address and the arrival of my first child i made the tough decision that, as my term was up, it was time to let someone else step in and take the reins. Not much happens in my town really, the school system is entirely separate, you can be as passionate as you want about it, but in the end, as such a small town, we have a say, but no power to sway. We have no road crew, it all gets hired out, and we share a zip code with another nearby town with a larger population. 
a couple months ago 3 ladies who come from the “left” end of town, not the highest population majority, but the one with the most free time.   They brought the board a “declaration of inclusion” essentially welcoming people of ethnicity and alternative lifestyle to help dilute our population and add diversity.

its all clap trap and hollow, non-binding B.S. essentially it says exactly what it says in the constitution, and on the Statue of Liberty. 
at the time the board’s answer was that we were not going to sign it, as a board we felt that the town and its citizens were welcoming to all people regardless of a piece of paper certifying it that some perspective house shopper could lookup on some obscure website, and that what we needed in town were new residents who contributed to society in some meaningful way, contributed to the local economy in some meaningful way and who come here because they like this place for what it is, not to make it where they came from, regardless of their ethnicity or lifestyles, not because of it. 
we as a board encouraged them to bring this letter to town meeting, and present it, it was included as a line item on the agenda and ultimately they got their way on Monday. 
Voting was yesterday and i had recruited an individual I thought might be a good fit to run as a write in, well apparently they did too. The “other” candidate won by 1 vote. 
this isn’t the way I wanted to go out, ive spent the last 17 years doing way more than the job description and far exceeding the 600 dollars a year stipend we get, for the good of the town. The new candidate is not going to have the ability to do the things i have done (things like clearing blocked culverts, clearing trees, cleaning ditches, picking up roadkill, rearranging dumpsters at the town dump , clearing the dry hydrants, pushing back snow banks in high snow years etc.and I suspect in the official capacity of the office she isn’t going to have the same rooted “for the best interest of the town” one step back from personal feelings, way of operating i tried to have. I think this is about agendas, and I think it is to create change that i am not really happy about.  
As I said, this isnt how I wanted to go out, and it has left a big hole that i am not sure how to feel about, but I know it brings me neither happiness or relief. 
Anyone who took over would have done so with their own style, and i knew that, but i feel like i have let a great number if people down, whether they know it or not. 
 

Thanks for the opportunity to vent. 

[KWRB]

Experienced that with my university's alumni board.

Contemplating it with the FD everyday.

At the end of it, your wife and your child are worth INFINITELY more than the board of a town who largely doesn't know your name and wouldn't reciprocate your service or the FD where (if you're like us) had policies that prevent protecting life and property on account of nonsense fear of a hypothetical lawsuit.

Everyday I turn more and more inward. And I don't really regret it, to be honest.

Your priorities are right. Take care of your own

[vtfireman85]

3 hours ago, KWRB said:

Experienced that with my university's alumni board.

I know i took it more personally than I should, but it was for 17 years of my existence part of my identity. I don’t tend to give things up, so I guess what i am struggling with is that yesterday i had all of these responsibilities, today not only are they not mine, but i am not allowed to do them.. its a strange thing.

I also don’t like people doing things with an axe to grind on one agenda item. 

[zleinenbach]

Maybe instead of looking at why you can’t do, look at what you’ve done for almost your entire adult life!!

keep your head up and pat yourself on the back, job well done!

[yellowrosefarm]

4 hours ago, vtfireman85 said:

but i feel like i have let a great number if people down, whether they know it or not. 
 

Thanks for the opportunity to vent. 

Sounds like the townsfolk let you down not the other way around.

[junkandcattle]

Sounds like you have served them well and longer than most could tolerate. I am sure you will get phone calls asking you to do more of what you have done for years.

I am also sure they would let you volunteer until you are wore out.😀

[int 504]

If I understand your situation correctly it seems that you should be paid to do what you previously did for free if you choose to do so when asked. After all,you are now a resident of a different town.

[vtfireman85]

1 hour ago, int 504 said:

If I understand your situation correctly it seems that you should be paid to do what you previously did for free if you choose to do so when asked. After all,you are now a resident of a different town.

In essence yes, but it isn’t quite as straightforward as that. 

[Frank H]

Well, your situation sure stinks, I hate the idea of people who leave somewhere else and move to a different area then want to make the new area like where they left. I doubly hate fictitious forced diversity, equity and inclusion nonsense. No matter what, you can hold your head high, you did a great job from the sounds of it. Nobody can take that away from you. Enjoy extra time with your family! You've earned it!

[searcyfarms]

you took the high road and did what you could above and beyond there is no shame in that - leave with your head high knowing that and let the chips fall - you have a new season to deal with in your life that needs your full attention blessings in your new season 

[Rawleigh99]

Maybe the town will appreciate what you did more after the other screw it up. Then again I could just be wishful thinking!

[vtfireman85]

I mean, i was done anyway, i had just hoped the next person would have a better set of qualifications and not an agenda. 

[Rawleigh99]

And now the Pink Pussy Hat crowd can take over!

[hardtail]

First on the agenda vote themselves a raise, I feel for you VT I would try and detach cause things are going to go downhill for awhile, Frank couldn't have got to the point faster sadly happening all over now

Think of it just like farming we don't own the land we just are the caretaker for awhile

[ray54]

 Will need a pay raise, and then come ask you to do all the real work. Just this one time 😉 as they did not know you did real work.🤣 Will get it in the budget for next time, or you say no. So be ready with your answer. 

[IHKeith]

"The best revenge is living well" a wise man told me, revenge may be a strong word, but keep pushing back the snowbanks and such if it needs to be done, I doubt you did any of those extra efforts for praise, or riches, more for being a good member of the community, don't let them bring you down, despite being on the town council/road maintenance board/politician, they all just argue, the biggest difference you can make is being a better person, if it was easy than it wouldn't be called better, I also find that we as humans look at things too seriously sometimes, we have a freezer full of meat, eating roast beef for dinner, saw a bunch of friends throughout the day, got to run or fix equipment in the countryside, work like a dog sometimes but not tied to 8-5, not that every day is that perfect but there are enough of them that are great, and we worry about things in the media or about trying to fix society, yes ridiculous laws and regulations are always coming out, but living right and appreciating the weather is all you can do, other than folding into the agenda

[oldtanker]

Man don't know what to tell you. After 17 years you will miss it but the wife and the upcoming baby have to come first!

Rick