Winooski voters weigh in on hot-button election issues

Photo by Catherine Morrissey

Reporter Jonah Frangiosa caught Winooski residents outside the Winooski Senior Center as they exited the polls on Town Meeting Day (Winooski votes via Australian ballot). Here are some of the top issues that motivated voters to cast their ballots:

Joe Sorrow and Rick Schlott, both 42, are a married couple who have lived in Winooski for one year. Schlott is unemployed, while Sorrow is a recruiting manager. They have no family in Vermont.

“We’re very proud that our city has LGBTQ members on our city council. I would like to keep it that way as much as possible. So, for us, that’s important,” Sorrow said.

For the first time in Vermont’s history in 2023 (and second in the country), Winooski voted in a slate of LGBTQ+ city councilors. Four out of the five city council members, excluding Mayor Kristine Lott, identify as LGBTQ+. Council members Deputy Mayor Thomas Renner and Councilor Aurora Hurd are both running for re-election. Nick Brownell, who uses they/them pronouns, is running for an open council seat.

Sorrow and Schlott also expressed support for the Burlington-Winooski Bridge Project, which would update (and possibly relocate) the existing 100-year-old bridge. Residents came to the polls to vote on the $4.6 million bond.

“The bridge is important because it’s old and junky. It needs to be fixed,” Sorrow said.

Sofi Benito Alston, 24, is also concerned about the bridge. While Benito Alston used to be a Burlington resident, she’s lived in Winooski for one year.

“I was grateful to see that the bridge is finally being addressed because the hazard is there. I know that that is like a long-term issue that hasn’t been addressed for a while,” Benito Alston said.

Another voter, Dave Willard, a 45-year-old public school teacher, exited the polls while holding both of his young daughters’ hands. His daughters broke from his grasp and then sprinted away gleefully, chasing each other on the lawn beside the senior center.

While affordable housing is not on this year’s ballot, the issue remains a concern for many Winooski residents. A homeowner in Winooski, Willard offered his concerns on housing issues in the city.

“We bought our house long enough ago that it was affordable, but I don’t know if it would be at this point,” he said.

Housing was also top of mind for Benito Alston.

“Yeah, I mean housing is huge. I mean, I know we have a couple buildings in Winooski that are not being used and should be repaired by the state or federally then to be converted into homeless housing,” she said.

James Ehler, 55, currently rents in Winooski and has two children, an eight and 15-year-old.

“I voted no [to the Fiscal Year 2025 budget]. I voted no because my older neighbors on fixed incomes can’t do it, and political leadership continues to pander to people who have more financial sway. I don’t think they’re investing in the right things and simply subsidizing developers, in my view, doesn’t address the panoply of issues behind homelessness. There’s no funding there for healthcare. We don’t have livable wages,” Ehler said.