On Tuesday night Village Trustees approved a request to sell raffle tickets in the main lobby of the Woodstock Town Hall during next week’s Annual Village Meeting.
The Trustees voted 3-2 to approve Woodstock Elementary School’s request, with Eric Nesbitt and Patricia Compton dissenting. To a person, the Trustees supported the reason for the request, but they did not agree that Village Meeting night was the right time or place for it.
Nesbitt commented, “I think people come to discuss the Village business, not to buy raffle tickets.”
Compton was concerned that approving the WES request would prompt similar requests from other local organizations in the future. She was concerned that such a trend would upset some voters who don’t expect sales-related activity to be occurring when they come to Village Meeting.
“I think it’s opening up a can of worms,” Compton said.
Trustees Bob Pear and Candace Coburn, however, didn’t believe the purpose of having the raffle sales in the lobby would be to chase down voters for donations. Pear said he expected the raffle sales would be done in a way that’s respectful of the voters.
The Village Meeting will take place in the Town Hall Theater next Tuesday, March 20 at 7:30 p.m.
According to Woodstock Elementary School (WES) Principal Karen White, who sent the request to the Trustees, the raffle tickets will benefit the WES PTO as part of a spring fundraiser involving special student-made gift baskets – which will be raffled off at the end of May.
Julia Carlisle
Woodstock Early Bird 