By Guy Page
The looming 20.5% property tax increase is impacting legislative and state budget decisions in the State House, as legislative leaders and Scott administration seek to save money – even threatening favored policy initiatives, including:
- The likely demise of S.221, the legislative pay increase. Senate Gov Ops took testimony on the bill (sponsored by Chair Ruth Hardy) January 24, but since then there’s been no activity. Yesterday, Senate Pro Tem Phil Baruth told VDC that he doesn’t expect to see any further movement of the bill, which would dramatically increase legislative pay. Two other senators concurred with Baruth’s assessment. VDC’s email to Hardy has not been returned.
- The likely demise S.18, the ban on menthol and flavored cigarettes. This bill passed the Senate handily but ran into fiscal concerns in the House, where ‘money’ committee members learned it would lose the state $7-14 million in revenue.
- Hiring more deputy state’s attorneys – or not. While the department overseeing state’s attorneys would add 7-25 deputy state’s attorneys to address the criminal justice court backlog, the governor’s office is seeking ‘vacancy savings’ of nine deputy state’s attorney positions. In other words, fewer deputies, not more. Because there aren’t nine deputies now seeking to leave or retire, getting to nine would require layoffs. Scott disputed the number of vacancies and the characterization of them as cuts.
Meanwhile, legislative workers are trying to avoid the 20.5% statewide property tax increase predicted due to loss of federal funding, rising employee costs, and an unwanted outcome of the state’s new education formula: school districts actually increasing spending to benefit from the 5% tax increase cap.
Gov. Phil Scott was asked by VDC at his press conference today: “The Legislature is talking about raising revenue but we haven’t heard much about reducing existing spending. Have you considered asking your agency and department heads to submit across the board actual year over year budget cuts?”
Scott said actual budget reduction is unrealistic due to increased labor costs and inflation. He praised his budget builders for a 3-4 percent spending increase that doesn’t raise taxes. “To produce a budget that doesn’t raise taxes in this environment…. I’m very proud of their efforts.”
Competing Act 250 bill would place 90% of Vermont under Act 250 jurisdiction – Gov. Scott spoke strongly against H.687, House Energy & Natural Resources Chair Rep. Amy Sheldon’s Act 250 reform bill that appears to give biodiversity and land conservation a high priority. This bill would mean that 90% of Vermont would require an Act 250 permit for new construction, “maybe even a garden shed.” Scott favors H.719, which would expand Act 250 development exemptions in much of Vermont.
VDC also passed along to the governor a reader inquiry about rehabbing under-used state buildings into housing. “Fit up would be very expensive for housing,” Scott said. Workers and managers are trying to “find the sweet spot” between working at home and in offices. “Many have continued [to work from home] in that respect, but many are coming back. This process will take several years to shake out, he said. In the long term, Scott’s “amenable” to closing under-used state buildings and selling them for other uses – including, possibly, housing.
Interviewed Secretary of Education candidate – Gov. Scott interviewed a candidate for the Secretary of Education position yesterday. Is an appointment pending? “Stay tuned.”
Calvin Cutler of WCAX asked, what do you think about 32 work weeks? “That would mean you’d have to work longer, Calvin,” Scott joked to the hard-working reporter. More seriously the governor said employers need to look at different strategies to draw workers in – and that could be one of them.