Vermont

Vermont Senate leader sounds alarm on potential tax hike

Published

6 months ago

November 26, 2024

Vermont Senate leader sounds alarm on potential tax hike

MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – A top Vermont lawmaker is calling property tax rates and the potential for another spike a de facto emergency. Senate Leader Phil Baruth is now urging Gov. Phil Scott to take the first full week of the new legislative session to address the soaring costs of schools for next year and the long term.

After a double-digit increase in property tax rates this year, many taxpayers are concerned with affordability to the point where many say they might not stay in Vermont if lawmakers can’t fix it soon.

“My kids are looking to move out of state because it’s very expensive to live in Vermont. It’s as expensive as some of the bigger cities,” said Leslie Borrok of Shelburne.

Borrok says she and her husband might have to do the same if property taxes continue to rise.

“If we’re gonna be on a fixed income with Social Security and whatever monies we’ve been able to pull together, it’s going to be unaffordable for us to continue living here,” she said.

The statewide property tax for education rose 13.7% this year. State leaders are bracing for another double-digit increase in 2025. Among the cost drivers– soaring health care costs for teachers and staff.

It affected the budget at the Slate Valley Unified Union School District, which put five spending plans to voters this year.

“When you have that amount of money being taken up over something that we don’t have control over, that is frustrating I think to all of us in the schools and in the classrooms,” said Brooke Olsen-Farrell, the superintendent of the Slate Valley Unified Union School District.

To keep budgets and tax increases down, school districts may have to grapple with cutting positions, something Alexis Koch knows well as a teacher at Essex High School.

“We basically had to cut a bunch of programming in our schools, a lot of teachers were let go, and I personally since I’m also a teacher in the district also almost was cut back,” Koch said.

In a statement released Monday, Vermont Senate President Pro Tem Phil Baruth says we are at a critical junction and calls on the governor to propose solutions to the funding crisis at the start of the session. Baruth, D-Chittenden County, wrote, in part: “Vermonters need, want and deserve a thriving public education system as well as affordable and predictable property tax rates. In order to achieve both, we need the Governor’s early, transparent and collaborative engagement.”

Interim Vermont Education Secretary Zoie Saunders says in the short term, the state can again look to pump other tax revenues into the education fund to help offset the impact on property taxes.

“It will require us to make difficult choices. We are operating with a limited amount of money but we understand that there is a need to make some stabilization in our system,” Saunders said.

This past year, the Legislature used approximately $95 million to buy down the average statewide property tax rate from the projected 18.5% to 13.8%.

But the education funding formula may need to be completely rethought for long-term solutions, along with other hard choices, like consolidating schools and larger class sizes.

Both Democrats and Republicans agree there are no easy answers.

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Related Topics:baruth education Featured Lawmaker Legislature news Phil Politics property RATES SEN Spending tax taxes vermont WCAX

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Vermont

Vermont man charged in the murder of missing Bradford man – VTDigger

Published

1 day ago

May 16, 2025

Press Room

Vermont man charged in the murder of missing Bradford man – VTDigger

A Vermont State Police cruiser seen in Burlington on Thursday, Jan. 23. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger

A Bradford man in Vermont State Police custody is accused of killing Corey Crooker, who was first reported missing in January, according to state police.

James D. Nickles Jr., 42, is facing charges of second-degree murder, unauthorized burial or removal of a dead body and providing false information to police, according to state police spokesperson Adam Silverman. A judge found probable cause for the charges Friday, and the Vermont State Police obtained an arrest warrant for Nickles.

Crooker was last seen by family members on Jan. 9 and last heard from five days later.

Vermont State Police initially deemed Crooker’s disappearance “not suspicious” but later obtained evidence that the circumstances of the case were “criminal in nature.”

Nickles had been in federal custody on firearms charges arising from the investigation into Crooker’s disappearance when he was charged with his killing, according to state police.

According to reporting by NBC5, Nickles, while in custody, allegedly confessed to shooting Crooker on Jan. 14 during an argument over drugs.

Nickles later disposed of the body by burning it in a fire pit, NBC5 reported. Police found evidence at the scene but could not positively identify the remains at that time, the outlet reported.

The agency this week also arrested Lisa Akey of Bradford in connection with Crooker’s death. Akey has been charged with being an accessory after the fact, obstruction of justice and providing false information to a police officer, according to state police.

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Vermont

‘We have to be realistic’: Scott pauses Vermont’s electric vehicle rules

Published

2 days ago

May 16, 2025

Press Room

‘We have to be realistic’: Scott pauses Vermont’s electric vehicle rules

Gov. Phil Scott issued an executive order this week pausing penalties for manufacturers who fail to hit certain electric vehicle sales quotas set to kick in later this year.

Three years ago, Vermont agreed to require “an increasing percentage” of passenger cars, trucks and medium- and heavy-duty vehicles sold in the state to be electric starting late this year, with the end goal being to stop selling gas-powered vehicles completely by 2035.

On Tuesday, however, Scott said in his executive order that the plan’s original timeline is no longer feasible due to lack of supportive infrastructure, lagging interest in electric vehicles and “federal disruptions” like tariffs, which are raising costs and “causing supply chain uncertainty.”

“I continue to believe we should be incentivizing Vermonters to transition to cleaner energy options like electric vehicles,” said Scott in a press release announcing his executive order. “However, we have to be realistic about a pace that’s achievable. It’s clear we don’t have anywhere near enough charging infrastructure and insufficient technological advances in heavy-duty vehicles to meet current goals.”

Vermont may have the most electric vehicle chargers per capita in the nation, but even the fastest charging stations in the state take hours to fully charge a vehicle, Scott said during a press conference on Wednesday. He added that the oldest charging stations take 12-16 hours, requiring people to prepare well in advance if they want to travel.

“You can’t rely on that if you’re going to be traveling in Vermont, especially on a cold winter day,” Scott said. “Your range might be 200 miles. If you’ve got to go to Brattleboro and back, you’re challenged.”

Scott has experienced the inconvenience of charging EVs

As an example, Scott recounted his experiences with the electric Ford F-150 his administration purchased back in August 2022, admitting that he’s had to delay travel plans or make other travel arrangements in the past because of how inconvenient charging the vehicle can be.

“We have much more work to do in order to make it more convenient, faster, and more affordable to buy, maintain and charge EV’s,” Scott said in his press release. “When we do, it’s more likely every day Vermonters will make the switch.”

Where consumer interest in electric vehicles stands now, manufacturers and local dealers are struggling to meet Vermont’s zero emission vehicle sales goals, Scott said during his Wednesday press conference. To hit sales targets, some manufacturers are “forcing” dealers to receive and sell a certain number of electric vehicles before they supply dealers with more gas-powered cars and trucks, which are still in much higher demand, Scott said.

“And dealers aren’t able to sell them,” Scott said, hurting them financially.

To avoid penalties for failing to meet electric vehicle sales totals, manufacturers can no longer impose the aforementioned zero emission vehicle “ratios” on dealerships, must deliver vehicles in a “timely manner” and must provide reports demonstrating they are continuing to “promote and market” electric vehicles, such as building more charging infrastructure and including electric vehicles in “ride and drive” events.

“The enforcement discretion is only available to them if they are continuing to provide the services Vermonters are requesting,” said Secretary Julie Moore of the Agency of Natural Resources during Scott’s press conference.

The executive order was effective immediately and will continue until Dec. 31, 2026 or until Scott, upon consulting with Moore, amends or rescinds the order.

Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at mstewartyounger@gannett.com.

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Vermont

Bob’s Discount Furniture to open 20 new stores this year, including one in VT. Here’s where

Published

3 days ago

May 15, 2025

Press Room

Bob’s Discount Furniture to open 20 new stores this year, including one in VT. Here’s where

Want to save money on new furniture? Try these 3 super strategies

Buying new furniture can cost upwards of hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.
So how can the frugal-minded save money, without trawling thrift shops and Craigslist?

Bob’s Discount Furniture is set to open their first location in Vermont this year.

The opening is one of 20 stores Bob’s plans to open in 2025 as part of an ongoing growth strategy, with six stores opening across the country so far this year. Now, the New England-based furniture chain has its sights set on Williston, with plans for the location to open in the summer or fall.

“Bob’s has built a loyal customer base throughout New England, and opening a store in Vermont allows us to strengthen our connection with a region that has supported our brand for years,” said Ramesh Murthy, Chief Operating Officer at Bob’s Discount Furniture, in a press release. “We’re excited to bring our on-trend assortment of furniture, mattresses, and home accents at everyday low prices to new customers and markets.”