We are lucky to be represented in the Legislature by Reps. Kathleen James and Seth Bongartz.

They make it a point to be accessible to their constituents. In addition to their Town Meeting and End of Session Reports, which provide information to help us stay in the loop about what’s going on locally and in Montpelier, they send out a regular newsletter, hold coffee hours to meet with constituents face-to-face, and are a constant presence at local events.

This is what representation should be — we all have the same opportunity of access to our representatives so that they can hear our ideas and concerns. Not only do our representatives hear us — they are listening. Many of us would agree that among our most dire concerns is the lack of housing throughout the state. It is urgent, and it is also frustrating to see the political process stand in the way of that urgency. But Reps. James and Bongartz organized and took action, and have made demonstrable progress on this issue, of critical importance in our district. They crafted and introduced provisions to make it easier to build housing in residential areas and town centers, and those housing provisions were incorporated into the housing bill that was enacted last session.

That’s because our representatives put in the work to craft a housing bill that would gain support and become law. This will allow our community to actualize critically needed housing, instead of just talking about it. Please reelect Reps. James and Bongartz this fall. We need them to keep up the good work. 

Merrill Bent and Jared Bianchi

Sunderland