Legislature salutes Waterbury’s Alyssa Johnson
March 17, 2026 | By Lisa ScagliottiOutgoing Waterbury Select Board Chair Alyssa Johnson’s time on the board officially ended after the Town Meeting Day election, but last week she received formal accolades for her service in the Vermont House of Representatives in Montpelier.
Alyssa Johnson served four years on the Waterbury Select Board, including over a year as chair. File photo by Gordon Miller
Johnson was honored with the ceremonial full reading of a congratulatory resolution adopted on Feb. 20 by both the House and the state Senate. Lawmakers offer such commendations for constituents as a way to celebrate their achievements and acknowledge their contributions to their communities.
The measure, H.C.R. 208, was sponsored in the House by Democratic state Reps. Edward “Teddy” Waszazak of Barre City, Conor Casey of Montpelier, and Tom Stevens and Theresa Wood, both of Waterbury. The ceremonial reading is highlighted in the March 11 House Journal.
The resolution (printed in full below) recounts Johnson’s public service in Waterbury, highlighting her time on the select board during multiple recent floods saying, “this dynamic civic official was a critical leader in the recovery and response effort after the floods of July 2023 and 2024, deploying volunteers, removing debris, and checking in with affected residents and business owners.”
It notes that Johnson advocated for the town to invest in housing and flood resiliency projects. The legislative recognition emphasized Johnson’s personal leadership qualities with a touch of humor, saying “she built a stellar reputation for being fair, honest, kind, a strong facilitator, a good listener, and always willing to provide much-appreciated snacks.”
Following the reading of the resolution, Wood spoke, asking lawmakers to consider the contributions of local elected office holders whose commitments are largely volunteer.
“And then add to that: you’ve dealt with not one, not two, but three floods during your term. You’ve oriented a new municipal manager. You’ve dealt with FEMA. You’ve dealt with multiple resignations in our municipal government—the municipal manager that was being oriented, the town planning department, the town clerk, the librarian, and on top of it all, a lot of local politics in Waterbury,” Wood ticked off. “So during this tumultuous time, we have had the wonderful good fortune to have Alyssa Johnson lead our select board and our community. Alyssa is a dedicated individual who is dedicated to effective local government. I have never in my life met anyone who absolutely geeks out about zoning and planning. Alyssa does.”
Johnson served on the Waterbury Select Board for four years, starting in 2022. Prior to that, she was on the Waterbury Planning Commission and served as chair. She worked as the economic development director at Revitalizing Waterbury. When she was first elected, Johnson was the board’s youngest member. Johnson works at the Vermont Council on Rural Development.
Wood noted the various roles Johnson has held, but concluded: “The best things to know about Alyssa, though, are her kind heart and her dedication to her work and to her community.”
Johnson was in the House balcony for the reading and Wood’s remarks.
The Journal of the Senate from Feb. 20 notes a different group of Democratic lawmakers presented the measure there: Rep. Elizabeth Burrows of West Windsor and Rep. John Bartholomew of Hartland, along with Windsor District Senators Alison Clarkson, Joseph Major and Rebecca White.
The honor of the resolution reading came a week after Waterbury’s annual Town Meeting, where Johnson as outgoing chair received a standing ovation from the town meeting attendees. Community members in attendance acknowledged the service of all of the board members by supporting a measure to increase the annual stipend for the first time in years. Voters at the annual meeting decide the compensation for town officers for the prior year. On a voice vote, town residents agreed to increase the stipend for Johnson as outgoing chair from $1,450 to $5,000. Other board members received raises, with the vice chair’s stipend increased to $2,500 from $1,450 and the other members’ to $2,250 from $1,200.
This year’s Waterbury annual town report also includes a dedication to Johnson for her service.
Below is the text of the joint legislative resolution honoring Johnson.
This is the formal text of House Concurrent Resolution 208, honoring former Waterbury Select Board Chair Alyssa Johnson