Climate, Politics, and Power: How a Longtime Volunteer Was Removed From Milton Committees
Both Sides, Full Story: You Decide.
MILTON — When longtime town volunteer Henry Bonges emailed his state representatives this spring urging them to support Vermont’s climate policies, he did not anticipate that the message would result in his removal from multiple town committees.
But in a small town where political lines increasingly overlap with municipal decision-making, that’s exactly what happened.
According to public records and meeting minutes, the Milton Selectboard — made up almost entirely of state legislators — declined to reappoint Bonges to two of his longstanding committee positions this summer. A third post, which Bonges still holds temporarily, will remain vacant until a replacement is named.
The dispute, which began with a sharply worded email about climate policy, has become a flashpoint in Milton, raising questions about political retaliation, dual office-holding, and whether volunteers must align ideologically with town leadership to serve.
A Volunteer’s Email Sets Off a Political Chain Reaction
In April 2025, Bonges, a 40-year veteran of local and regional boards, sent an email to Milton’s Republican state representatives — Reps. Brenda Steady, Michael Morgan, and Leland Morgan — urging them to support two key climate measures: the Global Warming Solutions Act and a new “Climate Superfund” bill that would hold fossil fuel companies financially liable for climate-related damage in Vermont.
In the email, Bonges wrote, “I’m asking the Milton reps to not be Republican automatons voting with the party to accelerate climate change instead of reducing it.”
The timing of his message followed a federal executive order issued by President Donald Trump in April, directing the U.S. Attorney General to challenge state climate laws like Vermont’s. Bonges said he was alarmed by the move and wanted his local lawmakers to take a stand.
“I sent it as a personal note to my representatives,” Bonges later told the Selectboard. “It had nothing to do with my town work.”
A Question of Loyalty and Representation
At a May 19 Selectboard meeting, Bonges appeared before the board to request reappointment as Milton’s representative on the Chittenden Solid Waste District board. Several members, including Leland Morgan, questioned whether Bonges could represent the town neutrally after making what they viewed as disparaging remarks.
“You’ve made it very public that you hold at least four of the five of us in high disdain,” Morgan said at the meeting. “It makes me wonder whether you could do a good job for us with the feelings you have toward us.”
Bonges replied that he could separate personal beliefs from professional responsibilities, stating, “I am committed to serving the town regardless of political disagreements.”
Despite that assurance, the board — comprised at the time of four Republican legislators and one Democrat — did not take a vote. Instead, Bonges was asked to withdraw his name, which he did.
The board later failed to reappoint him to two other positions: the Chittenden Solid Waste District board and the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission. Motions to reappoint him were made by Selectboard member Michael Morgan, but none received a second, and no votes were held, according to the July 7 meeting minutes.
A Deeper Divide: Town vs. State Politics
The dispute has taken on broader political overtones in part because the Selectboard members Bonges criticized in April are the same officials who later voted on (or declined to support) his committee reappointments.
Milton is one of the few Vermont towns where a majority of Selectboard members also serve simultaneously as state lawmakers. Until recently, four of five members — including Rep. Chris Taylor, who resigned from the board in June to become town manager — were Republican legislators representing the town in Montpelier.
This overlapping of roles has drawn scrutiny from some residents and political observers.
“There’s a very real question of conflict of interest when the same officials hold both state and town power,” said Lonnie Poland, chair of the Milton Democratic Committee. “If you criticize them in one role, are you punished in the other?”
According to Poland, Bonges’s removal represents “an ideological purity test,” a phrase Bonges himself used when he addressed the board in June. “They’re not removing me for poor performance,” he said. “They’re removing me for calling on them to act on climate change.”
The Board’s Defense: Performance, Not Politics
Members of the Selectboard, when asked for comment, offered limited responses. Chair Darren Adams, the only non-legislator on the board, denied the move was politically motivated.
“This was not a personal decision,” Adams said. “We respect Mr. Bonges’s long service. But it’s important that our representatives on regional boards reflect the decisions of the Selectboard and maintain confidence across all members.”
Rep. Brenda Steady, who declined an interview with VTDigger for an earlier article, had previously told constituents at a public meeting that Bonges’s email was “disheartening,” stating: “I’ve always tried to vote to save people money. When I got that email, it felt like my efforts were being misrepresented.”
The Selectboard has not formally explained why none of Bonges’s reappointments were supported. However, members expressed concern at multiple meetings that his language in the April email — particularly the phrase “Republican automatons” — signaled disrespect toward the board and undermined their ability to work with him.
Experience vs. Alignment
Bonges’s civic résumé is extensive. Over four decades, he has served on Milton’s Development Review Board, the Planning Commission, and the town’s Recreation Commission. Regionally, he represented Milton on the Chittenden Solid Waste District board and the Green Mountain Transit board. His professional background includes decades in sustainability consulting.
He also ran for the Vermont House in 2024 as a Democrat, challenging two of the current Republican legislators representing Milton — a fact not widely referenced during the public dispute, but one that adds political context.
“It’s troubling when criticism of public officials leads to consequences,” Bonges said. “People should be able to advocate for policy without losing their civic roles.”
But the board’s actions suggest that political friction is, in practice, a factor in local appointments — especially when state legislators control both ends of the relationship.
Looking Ahead: Open Seats and Broader Questions
As of this writing, Bonges continues to serve temporarily in a holdover capacity on the waste district board until a replacement is found. The town has posted a public call for applicants.
The incident has raised community concerns about transparency and whether political disagreement is now a disqualifier for civic service.
Vermont law does not prohibit state lawmakers from serving on local boards, and it gives Selectboards broad discretion in appointments. Still, governance experts caution that overlapping roles can create conflicts of interest — especially in small towns where state and municipal politics are deeply intertwined.
“It’s legal, but it can be problematic,” said Jaime Contois of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns. “When the same people wear multiple hats, it’s important to safeguard against the appearance — or reality — of retaliation.”
For Milton, the issue may have started as a climate policy disagreement. But its real significance may lie in the challenge it poses to civic participation in politically charged times.
“The question isn’t whether someone supports a given policy,” Bonges said. “It’s whether town service is conditional on political alignment. If it is, that’s a loss for everyone.”