MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont Gov. Phil Scott says he’s officially filed for reelection. In a letter sent out Saturday evening, he stated:

“While we’ve made progress over the years, we still have more work to do. But to do that, we need more balance in the Legislature.” said Gov. Scott, “During my four terms as Governor, my team and I have worked to grow the economy, make Vermont more affordable, and protect the most vulnerable. I’ve done my best to rise above partisanship to solve problems, and help people.”

Scott also thanked Senator Dick Mazza for taking him under his wing when he entered the State Senate, 23 years ago. Calling him a mentor and asked him to be by his side when he announced his run for reelection.

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The 2024 Vermont high school spring season has begun. See below for scores, schedules and game details (statistical leaders, game notes) from baseball, softball, lacrosse, track and field, tennis and Ultimate.

To report scores: Coaches or team representatives are asked to report results ASAP after games by emailing sports@burlingtonfreepress.com. Please submit with a name/contact number.

►Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @aabrami5

PREVIOUS COVERAGE

Watch list: The top returning Vermont high school boys lacrosse players for the 2024 season

Watch list: The top returning Vermont high school girls lacrosse players for the 2024 season

Watch list: The top returning Vermont high school softball players for the 2024 season

Watch list: The top returning Vermont high school baseball players for the 2024 season

Watch list: The top returning Vermont high school Ultimate athletes for the 2024 season

Watch list: The top returning Vermont high school tennis players for the 2024 season

SATURDAY’S H.S. GAMES

Girls lacrosse

Games at 11 a.m. unless noted

Champlain Valley 19, BFA-St. Albans 7

BFA: Adi Hughes 3G. Rae Alexander 2G. Kali Cushing 1G. Amber Poquette 1G. Amelia Pinkham 9 saves. 

CV: Bibi Frechette 3G, 1A. Marlie Cartwright 2G, 3A. Stella Dooley 3G. Claire Marcoe 3G. Lulu Sarandos 2G. Emerson Rice 2G. Kate Boehmcke 2G. Rose Bunting 1G. Georgia Marcoe 1G. Sophie Madden 1A.  Clare Stackpole-McGrath 4 saves, Morgan Keach 4 saves. 

U-32 19, Lamoille 5

Milton at Mount Abraham/Vergennes

Lyndon at Rice, 2:30 p.m.

Harwood at Colchester, 4:30 p.m.

Boys lacrosse

Games at 11 a.m. unless noted

Stowe at Randolph, 10 a.m.

Spaulding at Burlington

Hartford at St. Johnsbury

Mount Abraham/Vergennes at Milton

Colchester at Harwood

Lyndon at BFA-Fairfax

Softball

Games at 11 a.m. unless noted

BFA-St. Albans at St. Johnsbury

Woodsville at Lyndon

North Country at Missisquoi

Craftsbury at BFA-Fairfax

Lake Region at Harwood

South Burlington at Essex

U-32 at Randolph

Vergennes at Enosburg

Milton at Mount Abraham

Colchester at Mount Mansfield

Rice at Middlebury

Baseball

Games at 11 a.m. unless noted

Lyndon at Thetford, 10 a.m.

Oxbow at BFA-Fairfax

Montpelier at North Country

Richford at Peoples/Stowe

South Burlington at Essex

Harwood at Lake Region

St. Johnsbury at BFA-St. Albans

Vergennes at Enosburg

Milton at Mount Abraham

Mount Mansfield at Colchester

Milton at Mount Abraham

Randolph at U-32

Missisquoi at Middlebury

Hazen at Spaulding

Girls tennis

Essex at Rice, 10 a.m.

Boys tennis

Essex at South Burlington, 10 a.m.

Burlington at Rice, 12:30 p.m.

Girls Ultimate

Burlington at South Burlington, 11 a.m.

Milton at Mount Mansfield, 4 p.m.

Track and field

Burlington Invitational

(Subject to change)

Just after the stroke of midnight on Saturday morning, state lawmakers passed the property tax bill necessary to pay for schools. The vote was 93 to 44 in the House and 18 to 8 in the Senate. Negotiations over the legislation, which will see taxes climb by 13.8% on average, stretched into the final hours of the legislative session.

Gov. Phil Scott is expected to veto the tax bill, and the evening’s vote totals suggest it is unclear whether lawmakers will be able to override him when they return for a special veto session in June.

“I’ve been clear. Vermonters simply cannot afford a historic double-digit property tax increase,” Scott said at his press conference Wednesday.

The rising cost of Vermont’s prek-12 system has dominated debate at the Statehouse this year. A spike in spending, coupled with the retreat of federal Covid-era aid, created a perfect storm, and nearly one in three school budgets failed on Town Meeting Day.

Property taxes were initially predicted in December to rise an average of 18.5% this year, but three factors — new revenues, surplus funds, and lower school budgets — reduced that figure to 13.8%.

Following a string of budget failures at the ballot box, school boards trimmed their spending plans by nearly $24 million. With this tax bill, lawmakers are also removing the sales tax exemption on software accessed remotely — like Turbotax — and enacting a 3% surcharge on short-term rentals, which will together raise a combined $26 million in ongoing revenue for the Education Fund.

The state’s revenues also continue to surpass expectations, which allowed lawmakers to use an additional $25 million in one-time surplus funds from the general fund, and another $44 million in the Education Fund to further take the pressure off property taxes.

All told, that means lawmakers are using just under $70 million in one-time money to help soften the blow to property taxpayers this year. That sum concerns even the tax bill’s supporters, because it risks creating a fiscal cliff next year.

“I’m really, really concerned and it is very difficult for me to vote for these one time funds buying down rates,” Rep. Laura Sibilia, an independent, said in floor speech. “We know that these types of buy-downs exacerbate the ongoing problem. This is part of what has gotten us here — is the administration and legislature continuing to do this year after year.”

Taxes were at one point earlier predicted to climb above 20%. But a legislative intervention mid-way through the session, which axed a tax break that many believed to be partly driving spending, helped head off that worst-case scenario.

The tax bill also includes one-time credit for Vermonters who pay their property taxes based on income to help offset this year’s increase.

The legislation puts back into place a tax penalty for school districts whose budgets climb over a certain threshold, but Scott and his Republican counterparts in the Legislature have heavily criticized the bill for not doing more to limit spending.

“I cannot support a bill that has zero structural change in it. Zero. We are doing nothing for the next year. I cannot support this bill with a double digit property tax increase,” said Republican House Minority Leader Pattie McCoy. “Yes, it is an average. But that average means that some people may be paying 5% — but other people are going to be paying upwards of 25 to 30% increases.”

Lawmakers are using the tax bill to set the stage for much larger reforms in the coming years. It creates a Commission on the Future of Public Education, which will be required to release an interim report on cost containment ideas this December, ahead of the upcoming legislative session. A final set of recommendations for a comprehensive overhaul of the state’s education system is due the following year.

“We know the field is ready like never before to have the tough conversations, to sacrifice the sacred cows and to do what it takes to have an educational system that brings people to Vermont — not drive them away due to the cost,” said Democratic Rep. Peter Conlon, who chairs the House Education Committee. “But the actions we decide are necessary must be done with stakeholders, not to them. And that is really the goal of the commission.”

The governor had proposed that lawmakers more aggressively buy down property taxes by using even more one-time money — and then ask school districts to repay some of it over several years. Lawmakers quickly set Scott’s idea aside, however, after Vermont’s treasurer testified that it would imperil the state’s credit rating.

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