A Lieutenant Governor in one state is attempting to claim a public road as his personal driveway.

      Vermont’s Lieutenant Governor John Rodgers is threatening to take legal action against his small hometown of Glover if the selectboard does not grant him personal access to a public dirt road. Rodgers Road, a two-mile gravel path in a mostly rural area, reportedly passes through his property, but it has served as a public right-of-way for as long as anyone can remember.

      The road in question is not essential for travel; there is an easily accessible alternative route located just slightly to the north. However, this is not the main issue. The majority of the road is classified as “Class 3,” while a small segment in the middle is “Class 4.” The key difference is that Class 3 roads require year-round maintenance by the town, whereas Class 4 roads do not. Nonetheless, both are considered town highways.

      Rodgers is reportedly seeking to claim that small section of Class 4 road, as noted in the selectboard meeting minutes from May 5. The minutes indicate that “[Rodgers] has proposed converting a Class 4 section of Rodgers Road into a trail, stating that if this occurs, he would refrain from pursuing legal action against the town. Alternatively, he mentioned that if he filed a lawsuit in court and prevailed, he would prohibit motorized vehicles on the road.”

      While it's not clear why the road already bears the Lieutenant Governor's last name, it is possible that his ancestors were early settlers when the road was initially established.

      Rodgers is not the sole property owner on the road; there are eight other residences on Rodgers Road, according to a local newspaper. “James and Hella Coe own property on the Class 4 section of the road and don’t want to lose access,” reported The Newport Daily Express. It makes perfect sense!

      According to sources, Glover’s attorney informed the town that all available evidence indicates Rodgers Road is classified as a Class 4 road, and the selectboard reinforced that the section serves as a long-standing right of way for other residents.

      A week later, on Thursday, May 22, the selectboard held another meeting where “nearly 20 neighbors who claim they need access to that part of the road signed a petition urging the town to retain control of the road,” as reported by WCAX, a CBS affiliate in Orleans County, where Glover is located.

      As of midday Friday, the Lieutenant Governor had not responded to local news requests for comment, leaving it uncertain if he intends to follow through on his threats of legal action against the town.

      It's not a major highway, but it appeared to be a completely accessible public road as recently as August 2024 when Google’s Street View vehicle recorded it.

      WCAX shared a portion of a Zoom meeting earlier this month involving Glover’s selectboard and Mr. Rodgers, who seemed intent on portraying himself as a villain akin to those in the first act of a Pixar film. “I’ve spent a lot of money on lawyers, and I’ll spend more if necessary … If I win, I’m completely closing down the road. There’ll be no access. If you win, you’re going to spend a lot on lawyers and then have to invest money in road repairs,” remarked Rodgers.

      Glover Selectboard Chair Phil Young succinctly expressed the opposing viewpoint: “It doesn’t make sense to me to give up a right-of-way that we’ve had for 200 years.”

      Vermont Roads is an excellent resource for finding dirt routes in the state. A screenshot from that site includes Rodgers Road, which is highlighted as Class 4.

      WCAX conducted proper investigative journalism and uncovered emails detailing contentious interactions between Mr. Rodgers and town road crews, stating: “... a road crew member claims that Rodgers called him a moron,” and that Rodgers remarked, “I have over 20 years of public service in this town and this area. For these lowlifes to discriminate against me is a serious slap in the face.” While unclear what he meant by discrimination, personally insulting public works crews in a small town of about 225 residents does not seem to be a wise political move.

      Here’s a part of an official state map of Glover, with Rodgers Road marked in purple.

      Currently, the town and the state’s Lieutenant Governor appear to have reached a stalemate. “If we cannot reach an agreement, we’ll head to court … I can close off a section of the road and you can sue me,” the local county newspaper quoted Rogers as saying. He claims the Class 4 section of the road has not functioned as a road since the horse-and-buggy era, a claim easily disproven by Google Street View's 2023 documentation.

      I can understand why Rodgers would want the road for himself—after all, I would also prefer the road in front of my house to be private property. However, his approach of pressuring the town seems remarkably short-sighted and fraught with risk. Having visited Glover, Vermont (