Annie Cooper interviews Village of Essex Junction Trustee Vice President Raj Chawla about H. 491, an act relating to the creation of the City of Essex Junction and the adoption of the City charter.
From Annie:
"H. 491 - An act relating to the creation of the City of Essex Junction and the adoption of the City charter, passes House Committee on Ways and Means, unanimously! It's such a good feeling to have that work recognized, especially with the unanimous vote. Per our state representatives, Rep. Lori Houghton and Rep. Karen Dolan, H. 491 is, indeed, headed to the House Floor for a full vote this Friday."
Raj Chawla:
"To be able to have the community see that what they asked for, what they've been working for...for so many people have been pushing this through."
"From the get-go on this effort, on this Independence effort, staff produced a very intentional and participatory process that was inclusive. We had great support from the community, largely in the form of Our Village Our Voices to really engage and make sure people were well informed and could offer input."
"We've known for quite some time, I think, who we are as a village and what we want to be. And I don't think that's changed. We just had to look around and say, this is so important to us that we're going to do it, regardless. We're just going to move forward. I think it's exciting."
