Selectman Tim Johnson (standing at center), discusses his frustrations with Act 46 and the State Legislature during the school meeting, on Town Meeting Day at the Barnard Town Hall. Johnson stated, "I think we should demand results and answers, and not be forced to change our schools. I pose to you that our problem isn't necessarily our education spending as a whole. We do have an issue where our school population is dropping, our costs are staying the sameÉ We're not gaining revenue, and that means, look at al the houses for sale, all around this community, every other community, the business is leaving. I tell you right now, it's raising our taxes, asking less and less of us to demand paying higher taxes, [that] won't pay the bills. Consolidation efforts don't solve the problem, eventually, less and less of us will be here in this community, the school will not exist, and the next thing to go is the store because no one is there. Our communities are dying around here and it's because of State legislators. It is not because our communities can't fix our own problems." (Herald / Seth Butler)