In the weeks since Rutland City Mayor Michael Doenges announced he would resign effective Feb. 27, midway through his second term, the number of candidates hoping to replace him in a Town Meeting Day write-in campaign keeps growing.
So does the frustration, anger and uproar around the situation.
Doenges told Vermont Public that he regretted the timing of his departure, but said he got a job offer he couldn't pass up with his former employer, Cisco. The position, Doenges said, wouldn't wait.
According to Rutland’s charter, if the mayor’s office is vacant, "the President of the Board of Alderman shall act as Mayor until the next annual meeting and at such next annual meeting the legal voters of the City shall elect a Mayor from among their number to fill such vacancy."
Because Doenges' Jan. 29 announcement came after the deadline for candidates to get their names on the town meeting ballot, residents would have to contend with a write-in vote, which many in the city found unacceptable.
Doenges and David Allaire, president of the city’s board of aldermen, reached out to former city attorney Matthew Bloomer to weigh in legally on the matter as outside counsel.
In a Jan. 30 letter to city officials, Bloomer wrote, "We have since reviewed the Rutland City Charter, state statutes and relevant caselaw. We have also consulted with the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office. Based upon our review, it is our opinion that the City must hold an election for the office of mayor at its March 3, 2026 annual meeting."
Voters would decide with a write-in ballot and the winner would serve for one year, the remainder of Doenges' term.
Tom Donahue, a member of the city’s board of aldermen and CEO of BROC Community Action, was one of the first to announce he was running.
Donahue had previously led Rutland’s chamber of commerce.
Rob Reynolds, a local electrician, announced on Facebook that he was running. So did Lane Patorti. Luigi Illiano is also reportedly running.
Last week, Henry Heck, the former city clerk and board of aldermen member who ran unsuccessfully for mayor against Doenges last year, announced he was running.
As did David Allaire, who served as Rutland's mayor from 2017 to 2023.
Local musician Rick Redington said he initially posted his candidacy for mayor on Facebook as a joke. “That post got 30,000 views,” he told Vermont Public, including from people he hadn’t seen or heard from in years. “They told me my running was a good idea,” he said.
“It could be like having the coolest substitute teacher, or it could be a nightmare.”Rick Redington, who said he initially posted his candidacy for Rutland mayor on Facebook as a joke
"It made me consider some of the concerns I have about the city,” he added. As to how serious he is about running, he said if voters choose him, he will honor the job and serve out the year. “It could be like having the coolest substitute teacher,” he laughed, “or it could be a nightmare.”'
“I worry about that sort of playful nature of campaigning in a write-in ballot,” said board of aldermen member Matt Whitcomb, who is not running for mayor. It's a very serious position, he said. "Running as a joke, that’s a big concern,” he said, echoing what many in the city were saying.
Many in Rutland have complained on social media that voters wouldn't have the opportunity to adequately vet candidates, know who's even running or hear debates.
Whitcomb said Rutland has a lot of important projects that Doenges started that need to be seen through. He cited the recent passage of the city’s TIF — or tax increment financing district — which will help fund a long-hoped-for downtown hotel and other costly infrastructure upgrades.
“I’m disappointed by the mayor’s decision to step away before his term is over and I understand the frustration and anger many in the city are feeling about that,” Whitcomb said.
Former Mayor Chris Louras tried to provide another option for the city at a Feb. 17 board of aldermen meeting. He proposed a resolution that the board put off accepting Doenges' resignation until after Town Meeting Day.
Louras said that would enable the president of the board of alderman to become mayor, avoid what he called a chaotic write-in vote and be in the best interest of the city. Louras called Bloomer's legal decision "tortured at best and just plain wrong," and he lambasted city officials for accepting it. His resolution was not successful.
Rumors have been swirling that Louras, too, is running for mayor. He told Vermont Public he's not, but if he wins the most write-in votes, he'll serve. He also agreed with Redington that this type of election could be a nightmare for the city.
