There are a number of ballot items for Vermonters to consider on Town Meeting Day on Tuesday. State officials are anticipating school budgets and resulting property taxes will be the key issue for voters across the state.
In late November, the Vermont tax department released its forecast for the next fiscal year’s projected property tax rates. Commissioner of Taxes Craig Bolio forecast “an unprecedented property tax increase...” with taxpayers facing an average hike between 18.5 and 20 percent.
Former Governor Jim Douglas, who for 33 years moderated Middlebury’s Town Meeting, says school budgets are the top issue this year.
“Most of the focus around the state is on school budgets," Douglas said. "We have a report from the Commissioner of Taxes suggesting the average increase in the property tax will be about 20 percent. That’s a big number especially in a state where property taxes are already very high. So I think that’s going to be interesting to see how many school budgets are approved, how many are not approved and whether school boards have to go back to the drawing board.”
The state legislature has been working on legislation to diminish the level of increase and has allowed school districts to postpone Town Meeting Day budget votes.
Douglas does moderate two school district meetings.
“At our school district meeting, which was held last week, the projected increase is about 13 percent at a minimum in Middlebury," reported Douglas. "Which is not the state average but still four times the rate of inflation and I think it will be difficult for a lot of taxpayers to swallow. So I think that’s really the issue this year at Town Meeting. There are obviously different individual questions in various municipalities but I think that will dominate.”
Governor Phil Scott has called the predicted increase unacceptable. During his latest weekly briefing, the Republican said he was considering voting against his hometown school budget.
“I received a pamphlet in the mail saying that our taxes in Berlin would go up $459 per $100,000," Scott said. "So that’s going to be, for someone with a $200,000 home, that’s going to be about a thousand-dollar increase. It’s a significant increase. So I mean I would have to say that I’m leaning towards voting against it. But I want to be fair and I want to read the information first.”
A few days later as Town Meeting Day loomed, Scott reiterated that he expects school budgets and property taxes to be the key issue for voters.
“Property taxes front and center. I think that’s going to be on everyone’s mind, what we do from here and what are the solutions as a result.”
Democratic U.S. Senator Peter Welch agrees.
“You know I’m hearing from Vermonters that they’re really, really stressed out about the property taxes so I think that’s going to be a big topic of discussion.”
Town Meeting Day is Tuesday.
