With lawmakers back in Montpelier, the Vermont Mayors Coalition has issued its annual list of legislative priorities that need action or passage in the Vermont statehouse.
Over the past three years the mayors coalition, which consists of the leaders of the state’s eight cities, has successfully highlighted tax increment financing reform and downtown tax credit expansion; school reforms in Act 46 and elimination of non-medical exemptions for childhood vaccinations.
For the 2016 legislative session, the mayors say there are four priorities: reliable funding for waterway protection from stormwater runoff; implementation of 21st century policing; tax exemption of municipal parking utilities; and public safety reforms that include increased local control.
Barre City Mayor Thom Lauzon: “We whittled them down and we ended up with four issues. Believe me when we start we’re a little like cats and we’re a little difficult to herd. And when we first started chatting about issues I think there were 16 of them. And we really try to focus on three or four or five issues, that’s historically what we’ve done in the legislature, simply to be as effective as we can be.”
In the last session the legislature passed the Vermont Clean Water Act. Montpelier Mayor John Hollar says the mayors believe that as regulatory implementation moves forward, funding to municipalities must be guaranteed. “Not every mayor but most of the mayors are located within that Lake Champlain watershed. But even those that aren’t are still impacted because EPA and the state are setting standards that apply regardless of where you’re located.”
The mayors want assurances that training at the Vermont Police Academy is consistent with national 21st century policing standards. Mayor Hollar says the concern is in part because all police officers are trained at the state facility. “In Montpelier we’re very comfortable with the level of training that our officers receive. We have a pretty progressive approach here that has avoided a lot of the problems that you’ve seen nationally. And I think that’s true in most of the cities. But we want to make sure that the state training that’s being provided and mandated for all of our municipal officers meets the 21st century policing standards that have been recommended by the White House Task Force.”
During the last session, a miscellaneous tax bill removed the tax exemption for municipally owned parking structures. The mayors say that presents numerous challenges; Barre’s Mayor Lauzon says the policy doesn’t make sense. “Recently there have been conversations that municipal parking structures should be taxed. So our pushback on that is on one level we appreciate the fact the administration is pouring unprecedented amount of incentives and funding into Vermont’s downtowns. But then on the hand, the tax department is looking to take some of those precious resources away. It seems a little counterproductive that on one level you would encourage us and provide incentives to build parking garages but then on another level you’re siphoning resources away from municipalities by taxing it.”
The legislature is reviewing gun control ordinances passed by Burlington voters. The mayors coalition did not take a position on those charter changes but is calling for greater local control in public safety issues including notification when a prohibited person attempts to purchase a firearm.
