About St. Johnsbury, VT

St. Johnsbury Municipal Info


Mike Welch, Town manager St. Johnsbury Watch Video	Jerry Rowe, Member Select board Watch Video	Joe Fox, Director St. Johnsbury Recreation Dept. Watch Video

Town Government

Meet St. Johnsbury's Newest
Select Board Members

St. Johnsbury has two new Select Board members, elected at Town Meeting Day in early March. Both Jean Hall Wheeler and Jim Rust were elected to one-year terms on the Select Board. They are pleased to be part of St. Johnsbury’s town government and look forward to an exciting year.

Jean Hall Wheeler

    Jean Hall Wheeler was born and raised in St. Johnsbury. She grew up on Clayton Street, and says that until a few years ago, “All eight families on my street could remember when I came home from the hospital.” Now 47, she says she loves that strong sense of community that St. Johnsbury has always maintained. “When you drive down Main Street, you can see what the citizens of St. Johnsbury value. The Rec Department shows our focus on healthy lifestyles and nurturing kids. St. Johnsbury Academy is a gem that reinforces our commitment to our town’s children.” Wheeler is quick to add that Lyndon Institute is a gem, too – she is Dean of Students there.
    Wheeler started her career as a day care provider years ago when her children were small. From that, she moved to teaching Human Services and Early Childhood classes at Lyndon Institute, and two years ago, was named Dean of Students. “I think I’m always striving to achieve balance,” says Wheeler. “That includes at work, at home, and on the Select Board.” Wheeler notes that she wants to look at the “whole picture” when budget items are presented. “I’m not a ‘bottom dollar’ person,” she says. I look at the benefits as well as the costs, and see how everything works together.”
    Some of Wheeler’s key issues include maintaining the town’s infrastructure, continuing the work of the Recreation Department, and seeing further improvements downtown. “I’d love to see the Bay Street project go forward,” she says. Getting rid of eyesore buildings and replacing them with fields, creating a buffer zone between Railroad Street and the river are part of her agenda for improving St. Johnsbury. “But I know that people can’t afford higher taxes, so we have to work hard at keeping taxes down for everyone,” says Wheeler. She points to opportunities that may be created in the future to have more usage of the water and sewer system that would reduce those costs for everyone. “I know people are concerned about what the reevaluation will do to property taxes, but hopefully, it will normalize tax rates for everyone,” she says.

Jim Rust

   Jim Rust has made his home in St. Johnsbury since 1993, but has roots in the area that go much further back. He married St. Johnsbury native Pamela Petty in 1985, bought property here, and, as he says, "has been a St. Johnsbury taxpayer since the 1980s." Following his service in the Marines, Jim and Pamela came back to St. Johnsbury in 1993. He has owned and operated Pettyco Junction at the intersection of Routes 2 and 18 for the past 12 years. He even lives above the store, with his wife and two children.
    Rust, as a small business owner himself, cares deeply about the future of St. Johnsbury’s business community. “I want to help people succeed who have the courage to open a small business in St. Johnsbury,” he says. He hopes the town can help business owners find the resources they need to survive and grow. “It’s important to get the town to think ‘business’,” he says.
    Rust shares Wheeler’s concern about St. Johnsbury’s water and sewer infrastructure. “We have a $44 million project ahead of us to bring the system up to snuff,” Rust says. This is important for residents and businesses alike, he maintains, and Rust thinks that other matters may have to be set aside temporarily while the water and sewer system issues are dealt with. “I look at the town budget as balancing a checkbook,” he says. “We need to keep St. Johnsbury’s balanced. We don’t want spending to get out of hand.”
    Rust would like to see more integration among the town boards. “The Select Board should meet 3 times a year with the School Board, the Development Review Board, and with other organizations important to the town,” he suggests, “So that everyone is informed and can work together.”
    Rust and Wheeler are linked in an interesting way: 10 years ago, John Hall, Jean Hall Wheeler’s brother and then St. Johnsbury Town Manager, asked Jim Rust to join the Zoning Board of Adjustment (now the Development Review Board). “What a coincidence that his sister and I are now the newest members of the Select Board,” says Rust.
    The two new Select Board members encourage residents of St. Johnsbury to talk with them about issues of importance and hope to see more community participation in town government. They can be reached at the following email addresses:
For Wheeler: jhwheel32@aol.com
For Rust: jimrust@charter.net -- or stop by at Pettyco Junction to talk to Jim in person!

St. Johnsbury Town Government

St. Johnsbury is governed by an elected Select Board, which works closely with the Town Manager, the town's day-to-day administrator. The town has a full-time police and fire department and a very active road crew, who make sure the town streets are always clear, even after a heavy snowfall. The town is serviced by a municipal water and sewer system.

St. Johnsbury has a very active Recreation Department that organizes activities for all age groups. Headquartered at the St. Johnsbury Community Center on Main Street, the Recreation Department organizes youth sports leagues and summer camps, administers the public swimming pool and tennis courts, and sponsors trips, hikes, and family fun days. More information is available at www.myrecdept.com/vt/saintjohnsbury.

To help new and existing businesses, St. Johnsbury has a full-time economic development director and also a full-time zoning administrator, as well as an organization of downtown merchants and a "Main Street" revitalization program.

Town demographics and detailed information on municipal services can be found at the office town site: www.town.st-johnsbury.vt.us

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