Vermont

This election, Vermont Republicans control the narrative on property taxes. Will that flip legislative seats? – VTDigger

Published

1 year ago

October 25, 2024

This election, Vermont Republicans control the narrative on property taxes. Will that flip legislative seats? – VTDigger

People listen during a press conference held by Downstream Vermonters, a coalition of people opposed to higher taxes and more regulations coming from the state government, at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Thursday, May 9. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger

On the campaign trail, state legislative candidates say affordability dominates conversations with constituents. Property taxes — and with them, the cost of education — are fueling some of the most fiery rhetoric.

This year, education property taxes rose an average of 13.8% statewide, driven by school spending approved by district boards and voters. And with Democrats holding supermajorities in both the Vermont House and Senate, Republicans are seeking to capitalize on voter discontent by pointing the finger at the ruling party.

“I think it’s the first time in a while that some incumbents are being held accountable and feel like they’re a little bit on the defensive,” said Jason Maulucci, campaign manager for Gov. Phil Scott. “The message that we’re running with is, ‘What we have clearly isn’t working, and we need change.’”

Scott has campaigned more aggressively than in recent years for members of his party, stumping for Republican legislative candidates in an effort to end the Legislature’s Democratic dominance. According to Maulucci, the governor is out three or four days a week supporting fellow Republicans.

Democrats, for their part, say the governor’s education finance ideas arrived at the last minute this legislative session and put the state at financial risk. When they hear from frustrated voters, some Democrats say they point out that the average statewide property tax increase is a matter of local choices, not state-level policy making.

“Generally, what I say to that is that I voted to fund budgets that voters around the state have approved, that they voted for and passed, and they’ve sent to the Legislature and said, ‘Please pay the bill,’” said Rep. Carl Demrow, D-Corinth, who’s facing a contested election in a purple Orange County district. “That’s our job.”

Maulucci, though, said he believes the local GOP is on the right side of public opinion when it comes to property taxes.

“I think our message is pretty clear, and it’s been consistent: The cost of living is way too high in Vermont,” he said. “Republican, Democrat, independent or progressive, you’re feeling the pinch.”

In Vermont, property taxes contribute to funding both municipal and school budgets. It’s the latter that drives the political rhetoric on the issue, especially after the cost of education increased by about $180 million last year.

That rise fueled a historic rejection of nearly one in three local school budgets, ballot items typically rubber-stamped by voters. That kind of voter response suggests property taxes may be driving Vermonters’ decision-making.

But whether property taxes will prove the bellwether issue in 2024 legislative races remains to be seen.

‘Guilty by association’

Regardless of their voting records, some Democrats are finding themselves on the back foot when it comes to property taxes.

Rep. Jay Hooper, D-Randolph, voted against the so-called yield bill, which levies property taxes in order to fund local school budgets. This year, the bill was vetoed by the governor, unsettling public school funding, until lawmakers ultimately overrode that veto, solidifying the average education tax increase of 13.8% statewide.

Despite his voting record, Hooper said he knows he has angry constituents.

“I think I will lose a lot of votes,” he said. “I’m guilty by association. I don’t like to be an apologetic Democrat.”

Hooper said he’s also heard from House colleagues frustrated by the aggressive reception they’ve received from voters, forced to choke down a “cold meal,” as he put it, “and try not to throw it up in front of their constituents.”

The campaign line for Democrats, according to Hooper, is to take the “totally irrefutable” position of telling voters “you guys voted on your (school) budgets,” and lawmakers only provided the funding for those budgets.

Hooper, thanks to his votes to affirm Scott’s vetoes, is the only Democrat with the governor’s endorsement, despite having a Republican challenger in his Orange County House race.

Rep. Katherine Sims, D-Craftsbury, who’s running for Orleans County’s Senate seat, is one of just three other Democrats who voted to sustain the governor’s veto of the yield bill, though she did vote “yes” in earlier roll calls. Unlike Hooper, Sims did not receive Scott’s endorsement.

“There’s an attempt to paint all Democrats with a broad brush, and it’s just not true,” said Sims, who also supported Scott’s veto of the renewable energy standard. “There are plenty of times I’ve voted ‘no’ when things aren’t in the best interest of our district.”

A political mailer distributed in the Orleans Senate district in support of Sims’ opponent said she had “voted to raise your property taxes,” a reference to the yield bill. Sims characterized the postcard as “simply not true.”

Asked if she was surprised Scott endorsed her opponent, Sam Douglass, Sims said she’d had “multiple conversations” with the governor’s team and “collaborated with the administration on introducing a number of bills.”

“In the end, unfortunately, you know, things often end up with political leaders making political decisions,” she said.

A statewide average, but local realities

While property taxes rose an average of nearly 14% across the state, actual changes varied widely from town to town, and many of the biggest increases hit deep blue communities.

Windsor County towns such as Woodstock, Bridgewater and Plymouth — considered Democratic strongholds — saw spikes of 30% or more. Other higher-than-average increases hit similarly blue parts of Addison County, the suburbs south of Burlington and the Orange County Democratic haven of Thetford.

Elsewhere in the state, increases were far smaller or even nonexistent, creating local particulars that differ from the statewide narrative.

In Barre City, local school board chair Michael Boutin is running for the House as a Republican, hoping to flip one of the district’s two seats.

Like many communities, Barre struggled to pass a school budget, though the district’s efforts dragged on longer than anywhere else. Boutin, who leads a board repeatedly divided over whether to support their district’s spending plan, voiced his approval of the community’s budget, which ultimately raised taxes less than 1% in the city.

That modest increase means property taxes aren’t necessarily driving conversations in Barre about affordability.

“We thankfully did not experience that kind of (tax rate) jump that would’ve been devastating for our community,” Boutin said.

Still, the Republican candidate said affordability is the number one issue he’s hearing from constituents, with the conversations centered on other costs, like energy.

“I think that most voters that I’ve talked to are kind of terrified about the Clean Heat Standard,” he said.

Boutin, with his school board background, is still campaigning on education, even though the property tax issue doesn’t resonate with Barre City residents as much as elsewhere.

For him, the primary problem is how confusing the system is, particularly Vermont’s education funding formula.

“If (voters) can’t understand it, it’s a bad bill, period,” Boutin said. “We cannot confuse our constituents, and that’s what we’ve been doing with our education funding.”

Correcting ‘misinformation’ and ticket-splitting

The Orange-1 House district, which includes Orange, Washington, Corinth and Vershire, has supported both Republicans and Democrats in recent years.

Demrow, the Corinth Democrat, is hoping to defend his seat against Republican challenger Michael Tagliavia, a former candidate for Vermont Attorney General.

In theory, Demrow could find himself vulnerable to attacks based on the state’s rising property taxes. With his assistant leadership position in the House Ways and Means Committee, he has a front-row seat to education finance policy making.

But in much of Demrow’s district, property taxes are actually falling, thanks to the latest changes to Vermont’s school funding formula, which give relative tax relief to communities with students who are more expensive to educate, such as those in rural and more impoverished towns.

“I won the Act 127 lottery,” Demrow said in an interview, referencing the latest pupil weighting bill.

Still, he has found voters angry about property taxes. Demrow recalled a school budget meeting this spring during which he explained that despite a rising budget, residents could expect tax bills to decrease.

“I had people come up to me afterwards and say, like, ‘You’re lying,’” Demrow said. “It’s difficult sometimes to get messages across about this stuff.”

The same dynamic has played out while he’s knocked on doors — including at the home of an elderly couple last week.

“The husband said, ‘You know, I was going to vote for you, but then I heard you raised our property taxes 14%,’” Demrow recalled. “Then his wife said, ‘Our property taxes went down.’ You know, she’s the one who writes the checks and pays the bills.”

Though in that instance Demrow was able to correct what he called “misinformation,” the conversation points to the saturation of the Republicans’ message.

The narrative is set. But actual votes? Those are still uncertain.

“I think the message is resonating,” said Maulucci, the governor’s campaign manager.

But in a presidential election year, he questioned the willingness of the state’s Democrats to split their ticket and vote for a Republican legislative candidate, as many tend to do with Scott.

“It’s just a question of whether it’ll be enough to overcome some of the national headwind,” he said.

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Vermont

19 Vermont school budgets fail as education leaders debate need for reform

Published

3 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

19 Vermont school budgets fail as education leaders debate need for reform

MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – Most Vermont school budgets passed Tuesday, but 19 districts and supervisory unions saw their spending plans rejected — an uptick from the nine that failed in 2025, though well below the 29 that failed in 2024.

Some education leaders say the results show communities are largely supportive of their schools.

“We’re starting to kind of equalize out again towards the normal trend of passage of school budgets each year,” said Chelsea Meyers of the Vermont Superintendents Association.

Sue Ceglowski of the Vermont School Boards Association said the results send a clear message. “Vermont taxpayers support Vermont’s public schools,” she said.

Meyers said the results also raise questions about the scope of education reform being considered in Montpelier. “If we are going to reform the system, it might not require sweeping broad changes as are being considered right now, but a more concise approach to consider that inequity,” she said.

But in districts where budgets failed, officials say structural changes are still needed. In Barre, where the budget failed, Barre Unified Union School District Board Chair Michael Boutin said the Legislature must, at a minimum, create a new funding formula. “We have to have that in order to avoid the huge increases and decreases — the huge increases that we’ve seen in the last couple years,” Boutin said.

He said the rise in school budgets is separate from why property owners are seeing sharp tax increases. The average state increase in school budgets is 4%, but the average property tax increase is 10%, driven by cost factors including health care. “There’s a complete disconnect, and that’s a product of the terrible system that we have in Vermont with our funding formula,” Boutin said.

Ceglowski says the state should address health care costs before moving forward with rapid education policy changes. “Addressing the rapid rise in the cost of school employees’ health benefits by ensuring a fair and balanced statewide bargaining process for those benefits,” she said.

The 19 districts that did not pass their budgets will need to draft new spending plans to present to voters, which often requires cuts. Twelve school districts are scheduled to vote at a later date.

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Vermont

6 of the Quirkiest Towns in Vermont

Published

15 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Vermont is, for many visitors, the postcard-perfect New England state. A part of the United States since 1791, the first to join the Union after the Thirteen Original Colonies, Vermont has many unique, and sometimes quirky, features. The place has attracted artists and other creative geniuses, some of them decidedly eccentric, from its earliest days. The natural parts of Vermont, like the famous Lake Champlain, offer unusual points of interest for visitors and locals alike. With a state as rich in traveling attractions, it should be little wonder that some of them come with a quirk or two.

Montpelier

Summer Farmers Market in Montpelier, Vermont. Editorial credit: Phill Truckle / Shutterstock.com

Montpelier, while being Vermont’s charming capital, is the tiniest among all US state capitals with just around 8,000 residents. For comparison, the second-smallest, Pierre in South Dakota, has a population of about 14,000. Established in 1787, this historic town warmly welcomes visitors with a variety of landmarks, including the Vermont History Museum and the sprawling 200-acre Hubbard Park. The State House is also open to the public for tours. Just a short drive west, less than an hour away, lies Lake Champlain, one of the Northeast’s most beloved watersides.

The town’s name pays homage to Montpellier, a beautiful city in southern France. This naming reflected the high regard for France at the time, especially for their support during the US War of Independence. Interestingly, Montpelier has experienced its share of flooding, with significant damage occurring in the years 1927, 1992, and most recently in 2023.

Elmore

Elmore, a charming small town in Lamoille County with fewer than 900 residents, is a favorite spot for autumn leaf-peepers. Located north of Montpelier, this peaceful town has its own unique charm, including several local landmarks sharing the name ‘Elmore,’ which adds to its character. It’s important to note that Elmore town is separate from East Elmore. To the west, Elmore Mountain overlooks the area, while Elmore State Park lies just north of the town itself. Enjoying waterside beauty, Elmore Lake is often listed among Vermont’s most picturesque lakes, with its waters flowing into the Lamoille River through Elmore Pond Brook. Like Montpelier, Elmore is situated east of Lake Champlain. For those seeking a more bustling scene or a change of pace, the vibrant city of Burlington, just an hour’s drive west, makes for a perfect day trip or weekend getaway.

Stowe

Stowe, with a lively population of 5,300, is Vermont’s top spot for adrenaline seekers and the eccentrics among us, earning its reputation as the state’s premier ski and snowboard destination. The Stowe Mountain Resort proudly calls itself the “ski capital of the east”—that’s the eastern United States. Nestled near the breathtaking Mount Mansfield, Stowe offers more than just winter fun; warmer months bring plenty of activities like hiking and mountain biking in the beautiful Cady Hill Forest.

The town also has a rich history, being the home of Jake Burton Carpenter (1954-2019), the visionary behind Burton Snowboards and a trailblazer in making snowboarding an international sport. While some might have called him eccentric when he launched his company in 1977, today he’s celebrated as a true pioneer whose legacy keeps inspiring young snow sports enthusiasts, like those at Mount Mansfield Winter Academy, a special school dedicated to nurturing the next generation of champions.

Manchester

Manchester, a town with 4,500 residents located in southwest Vermont, is popular among art and architecture enthusiasts. It features Hildene, the estate of Abraham Lincoln’s son Robert, which boasts an impressive Georgian Revival house and grounds. The town’s American Museum of Fly Fishing showcases numerous rods, flies, and related gear, attracting many superstitious anglers. Manchester is also home to Orvis, a renowned fishing and clothing company. The Southern Vermont Arts Center hosts exhibitions, and includes a sculpture garden and performance space. Nature lovers should visit Mount Equinox, west of town, or explore the Green Mountain National Forest to the south.

Eccentric fact: Jonathan Goldsmith, known for portraying “The World’s Most Interesting Man” in Dos Equis commercials, resides in Manchester. Stay quirky, my friends.

Brattleboro

Brattleboro, with a population of 12,100, sits along the Connecticut River and features a variety of attractions and oddities. Located just west of New Hampshire—in which the Connecticut River forms the border—and just north of Massachusetts, the town is an ideal midpoint for exploring the wider New England region. Outdoor enthusiasts will appreciate Fort Dummer State Park, welcoming hikers, bikers, and campers alike. Among the more renowned eccentric figures in history, British writer Rudyard Kipling moved to Brattleboro after marrying a Vermont woman in 1892. Their home, Naulakha, references his birth and childhood in India. Kipling believed that Brattleboro’s conservative small-town culture created an

Woodstock

Woodstock, a town with 3,000 residents located in upstate New York, is separate from the famous 1969 cultural event. This southeastern town attracts architecture enthusiasts, particularly for the First Congregational Church, built in 1807 and featuring a bell cast by American revolutionary Paul Revere, and the Norman Williams Public Library, completed in 1884. For outdoor activities, visitors can walk in Woodstock Town Forest, located south of the town, or enjoy panoramic views from the Marsh Billings Rockefeller National Historical Park, the only part of the US National Park system in Vermont besides the Appalachian Trail. Recently, Woodstock has modernized its infrastructure with digital technology, launching the “Wireless Woodstock” initiative in 2011, which provides free Wi-Fi across the entire town. It’s not quirky; it’s just cool.

Vermont’s Quirky Small Towns May Also Be Its Best

These small Vermont towns show the state’s sometimes quirky, but never boring character. Architecture fans will find unusual, beautiful examples state-wide. Montpelier is an oddly pint-sized capital with heavyweight history. Brattleboro has long attracted strange, sometimes brilliant types, whether foreign or domestic. Manchester is interesting enough for the World’s Most Interesting Man. And with abundant natural parks, the Green Mountains, and the majesty of Lake Elmore and Lake Champlain, the quirks of Vermont’s best features should attract even the most straight-laced visitors.

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Vermont

Vermont postal worker allegedly threw away mail she was supposed to deliver for months

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Vermont postal worker allegedly threw away mail she was supposed to deliver for months

Crime

During a search of a dumpster where the worker allegedly discarded the mail, police found several packages and holiday cards.

A Vermont postal worker was cited and suspended for allegedly throwing away mail that was supposed to be delivered to other people, according to police.

Natasha Morisseau, 34, of North Troy, was cited on nine counts of petty larceny and five counts of unlawful mischief, Vermont State Police said in a statement. She works as a mail carrier for the town’s United States Postal Service (USPS) office.

Officers were first alerted to the discarded mail on the afternoon of Jan. 23, according to police. Upon finding the mail in a dumpster on Elm Street in North Troy, they determined that none of it was for that address.

Police identified Morisseau as a person of interest and learned that she was a postal employee. They confirmed that she had regularly been throwing away a small amount of mail under her care since at least October 2025, according to the statement.

After searching the dumpster and Morisseau’s mail vehicle, officers found opened and unopened packages, along with several holiday cards, one of which contained money. Morisseau was later cited Feb. 14 and is due to appear March 17 in Vermont Superior Court, police said.

Since Jan. 23, Morisseau has been suspended by USPS, and all recovered mail has been given back to them for delivery, according to the statement. The case has been forwarded to the USPS’ Inspector General for further review.