ORANGE-CALEDONIA DISTRICT · GROTON / NEWBURY / TOPSHAM
Tom Otterman is the founder of Otterman Surveying & Septic Design. For 45 years he's helped rural Vermonters enjoy their land their way — and as affordably as the rules allow. He'll bring that hands-on know-how to Montpelier.
Two Ottermans may be on the ballot. When you vote, vote for TOM.
Meet the candidate
For three decades, Tom Otterman has run Otterman Surveying & Septic Design — measuring and staking property lines, evaluating soils, and designing wastewater and potable water systems the right way. Tom ran his business with honesty and small-town values. His work was done with precision to meet state permitting requirements, while always keeping his clients' best interests at heart. His working knowledge of increasingly complex state regulations makes Tom an important voice as Vermonters look for solutions to the obstacles that have placed pressure on our rural communities.
Tom and his wife Donna live in West Topsham, on the East Orange Rd where they both grew up. They raised two children who, unlike many young Vermonters, were able to build their lives right here in Vermont. Tom believes we must take action now to make it easier for families to stay in our communities, and that requires new urgency at the State House.
Read Tom's full story →The platform
Consolidation doesn't serve our rural communities well, and school choice is deeply valued by those who have it. The complex, immediate challenges of education performance and spending require Vermont's legislature to truly put aside politics and work like never before.
ANR does vital work, but even they acknowledge areas where service to Vermonters falls short. The legislature has rejected bills that would bring clarity, ease, and a more collaborative relationship with our regulatory agencies. It's time to speed up permitting and process reform.
Ordinary Vermonters who tend and work the land have been indispensable to the health and beauty of our landscape. Special-interest-guided policy that creates a false choice between the environment and rural people needs to come to an end.
We need to stop placing a disproportionate impact on Vermont's lower- and middle-income rural population. Vermont must ensure that all climate and energy legislation is equitable and advances affordability.
Montpelier lacks a vision for rural Vermont. The antidote is a more inclusive legislature that places constituent needs and perspectives before those of lobbyists — committing to direct communication with the communities we serve and gathering more direct testimony.
Hands-on experience generates better results than abstract ideology. For too long the legislature has favored theorists who dismissed unintended consequences. We need to measure what we fund, sunset what doesn't work, and focus on practical results.
Stay in the loop
That's where Tom posts events and news, and where to find him across the district — plus where he stands and how you can help.
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