Killington Votes to Join New Hampshire
1 hour, 48 minutes ago

By TIM McCAHILL, Associated Press Writer

KILLINGTON, Vt. - Voting with a thunderous "aye," residents endorsed
a plan Tuesday for this ski resort town to secede from Vermont and
become a part of New Hampshire instead.

The overwhelming voice vote opened the next chapter in what could be
a long and costly push to join New Hampshire, 25 miles to the east.

Ultimately, the vote could prove to be only symbolic. State lawmakers
in New Hampshire and Vermont will have the final say. And Vermont
legislators said secession will probably be voted down.

Town officials said about two-thirds of the 200 to 300 people who
attended the town meeting supported secession.

The main source of discontent is Vermont's new system of financing
education, adopted in 1997 on orders from the state Supreme Court. It
dramatically increased property taxes in wealthy communities like
Killington.

Secession activists say Killington's restaurants, inns and other
businesses send $20 million a year to Montpelier in sales, room and
meal taxes, while the state returns just $1 million in municipal and
education aid to the town of roughly 1,000 residents.

"The state is treating us like a cash-cow," said David Lewis, town
manager.

Town officials will now draft a petition to present to New Hampshire
Gov. Craig Benson and the state's Legislature. Lewis said town
officials want New Hampshire's approval before approaching Vermont's
lawmakers.