Vernon Manager Defends Drive-Up Votes As 'Fundamental' And 'Safe'

VERNON, CT — It seems Vernon will likely be the only town in the state to have conducted a drive-up budget vote after a Friday executive order by the governor essentially canned the idea. On Monday, the town's chief operating officer not only defended the meeting, but touted its safety and practicality amid coronavirus concerns.

"In Vernon, we are well-aware of the danger of COVID-19 and our primary concern is for the health and safety of our community," Vernon Town Administrator Michael Purcaro said. "We also continue to be deeply concerned about the health of our democracy throughout this crisis. The town recognized a viable opportunity for residents to exercise their fundamental democratic right to vote. As a result, we safely conducted two public votes that strictly adhered to and exceeded all of the current public health guidance for social distancing and personal protection."

Gov. Ned Lamont issued the executive order late Friday "to bring clarity to the municipal budget adoption process."

The order "suspends" any "requirement for a vote on such budgets or tax rates by residents, electors, or property owners," including, but not limited to, "any vote by annual town meeting or referendum."

Any budget adopted by a town meeting prior to the order — meaning Vernon's call-in meeting and drive-up vote — is being honored.

Lamont stressed large gatherings and other social distancing practices as the reasoning behind the order. A request for comment sent Monday morning was not acknowledged by the afternoon.

Vernon staged two virtual town meetings and drive-up votes. The first was in March when a $2 million debt-reduction paydown needed approval as part of a zero-tax increase budget. A total of of 55 votes were cast in a landslide approval.

Last week, Vernon voters approved a $94.1 million budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year by the count of 106-4. The registrars of voters said a typical turnout is 75 to 80 votes, so the drive-up system surpassed the normal attendance for an in-person annual meeting.

Mayor Daniel Champagne and Purcaro ran the meeting from a classrom while spaced well more than 6 feet apart, according to coronavirus pandemic guidelines. Purcaro is also the town's emergency management director.

After a conference call, voting was conducted just like a fast-food drive-up window. Voters presented identification at one both and either a thumbs-up, a or thumbs-down gesture at a second, both behind closed vehicle windows. Every staffer had a mask on.

Walk up votes had glass protection, similar to a supermarket cashier station.

(Chris Dehnel/Patch)

It's democracy in action," Champagne said of the format. "It's the people's budget — the residents' money — so they should have a chance to vote on it."

Purcaro said it was no different than going to a store or a restuaurant or walking the local rail trail system. To test his theory, a drive through town over the weekend produced the a few observations.

• Valley Falls park was at capacity for two weekends in a row. Mostly, the governor's social distancing orders were being followed, but several folks were not wearing masks and were bunching up in spots where trails merged. There seemed to be a shortage of plastic bags, judging by the amount of dog-produced landmines on the grassy areas.
• A Chinese restaurant that has remained open during pandemic restrictions seemed to be playing it by the book by having customers pay by card in advance or by leaving cash in a basket at doorway table set up to minimize contact.
• Most customers were spacing and wearing masks at a local hardware store that featured long lines on a warm spring day. There were some exceptions, including a fellow who wandered across the street from a laundromat with a bright Miami Dolphins hoodie on but no mask.
• A trip to a pair of discount stores produced results all over the place. One staffer was stacking shelves with a mask pulled down to his chin. Several unmasked adults were in both stores, and even those wearing them displayed some curious behavior. One man standing in line with a mask on decided to first pull the thing down below his nose, then sneak his hand underneath to wipe his mouth. The process ruffled the mask, which then resembled the old singe-bar facemasks on football helmets.
• A few unmasked customers were seen heading into supermarkets.

Purcaro's point that the drive-up voting took even more precautions seemed to be valid.

"John F. Kennedy once said, 'The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word crisis — one brush stroke stands for danger, the other for opportunity,'" Purcao said. "In a crisis, be aware of the danger, but recognize the opportunity."