Ruth CallowayTown Meeting Day: How 312 Neighbors Passed a Budget in One Afternoon
In my Vermont town, the legislature is everyone who shows up at the school gym on the first Tuesday in March.
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Ruth Calloway
Tom WalshThe Committee Room Is Where Laws Actually Get Rewritten
Floor debates get the cameras, but most of the real changes to a bill happen in small rooms with long tables and very little drama.
Tom WalshWhat Really Happens in the Six Weeks Before a Budget Speech
Budgets look like one big announcement. Underneath, they are hundreds of small negotiations that mostly end before anyone stands up to speak.
Tom WalshWhy Counting Votes Takes Days When Exit Polls Take Minutes
The gap between the projection and the certified result is not a sign of trouble. It is the system doing exactly what it was designed to do.
Ruth CallowayBeing Town Clerk Means Knowing Where Every Dog License Is Filed
The least glamorous office in local government is also where democracy keeps its receipts.
Darnell HughesMy Students Tried to Get a Stop Sign Installed. It Took Fourteen Months
A ninth-grade civics project turned into a lesson in traffic engineering, public comment and patience.
Darnell HughesI Sat Through Our School Board's Budget Hearing. Here Is Where the Money Actually Goes
Most of a school district budget is decided long before anyone stands at the microphone.
Darnell HughesI Was a Poll Worker for Eleven Elections. Here Is What Happens After the Doors Close
The last voter leaves at 7:30 p.m. My night is only halfway done.
Ruth CallowayOur Selectboard Spent Three Hours Arguing About One Gravel Road
Why a 1.2-mile dirt road became the most important public issue in town for a full season.
Darnell HughesWhy Your Polling Place Moved, and the Paperwork Behind It
Moving a polling location sounds simple. It involves accessibility audits, contracts and a lot of postcards.
