I think there is a single overwhelming issue facing Brandon this year at Town Meeting: the planned 15% plus increase in the town budget. Accordingly, I think it is important to ask each Selectboard and Town Clerk/Treasurer candidate what he or she will do to prevent this exorbitant increase. Since very few of the candidates are exactly new faces around town, I think it would be fair to ask each candidate if he or she had foreseen this proposed increase and what actions he or she had taken to prevent it. An answer of "I didn't think I could do anything about it." might make a voter think about a lack of leadership in this town.