by Don Keelan

Several weeks ago, our district’s State Representative, Kathleen James, announced that she will not be a candidate for a fifth term. Ms. James noted that the reasons for doing so were personal. According to an article in the March 20, 2026 Manchester Journal, one such reason was “the low financial remuneration and the lack of benefits.”

This writer has disagreed with Rep. James on many issues impacting the State; that notwithstanding, I have found her to be an intelligent, engaging, pleasant, and hard-working Representative.  

According to the Journal’s piece, lawmakers receive about $800 per week, with an allowance for meals, lodging, and travel while the Legislature is in session, now stretched to five months. While some could construe it as campaigning, Rep. James held countless meetings with her district’s residents, informing them what was taking place in Montpelier.  

What Rep. James is paid motivated me to investigate how Vermont compensates its elected and appointed officials. I concluded that we have a problem. 

The skills required to oversee a state or local government agency, a hospital, or a public school in today’s over-regulated, litigious, and digital-focused environment are in greater demand, inside and outside government, than what was required a decade ago.

The March 21, 2026 issue of the Vermont Daily Chronicle only confirmed my feelings on the compensation issues. For example, as of February 25, 2026, the Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court was paid an annual salary of $225,576.

At the NYC law firm Hughes Hubbard & Reed, starting salaries for recent law school graduates are $235,000, while most other prestigious law firms hold at $200,000. Yes, this is NYC, and it is terribly expensive. But Vermont is expensive, too. 

What takes place in the Administration is more unfathomable. Governor Phil Scott, overseeing an annual budget of more than $9 billion and some 8,000 employees, is compensated at $226,012 (to be increased to $243,520 in July), according to the VDC. Instead of possibly seeking a fifth term, the Governor might give some thought to heading over to Winooski to Efficiency Vermont’s parent company, VEIC.  The top salary at this $130 million in annual revenue nonprofit is $430,000 (2024 data).

From a reliable source, I was informed that the Commissioner of Vermont’s Department of Corrections is responsible for 986 employees, 1,649 under incarceration, along with another 3,500 to 4,200 folks assigned to supervised release. The Commissioner receives an annual compensation of $158,000. 

The Commissioner may wish to look at becoming the director of development (fundraising) at one of Vermont’s smaller hospitals; the compensation hovers around $300,000, according to the hospital’s 2024 Form 990. 

A sought-after position will be Arlington, Vermont’s Land Use Administrator. The recent announcement in the Journal requested someone who is “computer-literate, good at time management, and good at organizational skills.” The 8-18 hours per week, plus one or two monthly meetings, position starts at $18 per hour and, if exceptionally qualified, may be $22 per hour. Good luck.  

Vermont’s taxes, whether real estate, income, or taxes masked as fees, are at the breaking point. So why be concerned about government employees’ salaries when the real culprit is spending? Because, except for a few nonprofits, we are not keeping up with what it takes to attract skilled folks to move here. 

The State’s essential service providers, whether they be government employees, teachers, child care workers, nursing home aides, or hospital non-executives, have all been compensated at levels that do not match what it costs to live in Vermont. 

There is a tendency to compare Vermont’s compensation with that of other states, and we come out higher than the average in some cases. However, with the cost of living in Vermont, it is no longer a useful benchmark.

If Vermont is to ever come to grips with the pending crisis noted above, it will require highly motivated, skilled, and committed personnel willing to step up to serve in our legislature, government, and essential services. 

If anyone feels differently, and they have every right to do so, I suggest they look at what is taking place with Vermont’s public school teachers, bus drivers, and principals. They are disappearing.  A further point of confirmation is the line item on Vermont’s hospital expense statements, “Cost for Travelers,” i.e., “Cost for out-of-state professional help.”