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by Donald Koch
The number one issue for most Vermonters this year is property taxes, and the Democrats in charge of the legislature have essentially ignored the issue.
Last November, as required by law, the Tax Commissioner issued his estimate of a 20% increase in education property taxes. That was a shocker! About 30% of school districts across the state defeated their proposed budgets and adopted reduced budgets, and that helped a bit. But what was really needed was a total reform of our nearly three decades old education funding formula, known as Act 60.
In response, the Democrats did two things. They increased some other taxes, and directed the proceeds to the education fund, reducing the property tax increase to a “mere” 14% in order to lessen the pain for this one year. And they created a study committee to create a report on education funding by December 15 this year—one more report on top of the many others done since Act 60 was first adopted, and one more that nobody will even read. Then they adjourned.
The Democrats didn’t even punt; they missed the kick entirely and left the ball on the field as they headed for the showers. Vermont deserves better.
I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I will commit, if elected, to working for legislative action on the issue and not farming it out to unelected consultants and “experts.” And I do have some suggestions for starters.
First, we need to recognize that we are constrained by a Vermont Supreme Court decision in the Baker case that mandates educational equity and seems to equate educational quality with money. I think the Court’s decision was foolish and outside its jurisdiction, but we’re stuck with it and have to work with it.
Second, there are 49 other states that fund their education systems without having the problems Vermont has. Let’s begin with looking at what those other states do and see if we can copy some of the best features of those plans. That seems like a simple and sensible start.
Third, we need to have as a goal funding our education system with something other than property taxes. Thirty-five years ago, Barre City Representative Oreste Valsangiacomo said that we needed to abandon property taxes for education funding and use income taxes. That certainly makes some sense, although it’s difficult because Vermont’s income tax rate is already relatively high, but the concept should be considered.
Education funding reform will not be easy. It won’t be simple. But it needs to be done. The Democrats in the legislature have chosen to let another year or two go by without action, and I might point out that one person who could have taken a leading role in reforming the system is Senator Ann Cummings, who chairs the tax-writing Finance Committee. So if the Democrats won’t take action on the number one issue of the year, isn’t it time to give Republicans a chance?
The author is a Barre resident and GOP nominee for Washington County state Senate. VDC will publish opinion pieces submitted by candidates of all parties as well as independents.
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Categories: Commentary
I’ve commented a few times about property tax to fund school systems. The system takes 80% of taxes collected and in effect the system owns 80% of your property and the town 20%. If unable to pay the high taxes by whatever means, the system can tax sale your property. Too bad you can’t move the property out of state. This VT tax situation is via Dem / Socialist controlling mindset, no vision or common sense.
On the other hand in Alabama if over 65 owning property there’s NO property tax. Henceforth, the town and state doesn’t own your property or lay claim to it. Why is it that Alabama can fund schools far better means than VT? VT just wants to maintain ownership and control over all private property. VT taxes are forcing people to leave the state.
There will never better taxing means until the legislative body becomes equalized.
Mr. Koch is spot on. Unfortunately, nothing to correct the problem will be done as long as the Democrats (read communists) have almost absolute control. The current Speaker of the House was quoted last year as saying “I have the power and I’m going to use it”. Apparently she only meant to build her empire and rub taxpayers’ and citizens’ nose in it. She and her Commiecrat and Regressive cronies have not done any responsible problem solving, only make existing problems much worse.
Baker case or Brigham case? I thought Baker case was an equality case about gay rights. Brigham is an equity case about education. Not that I disagree with other all theme of the opinion piece but I am wondering if there is even more that I am somehow missing?
You’re absolutely correct. It was Brigham.
It seems ever more apparent that the government running a monopoly schooling business is just not working out. Sell the these assets to teachers and give the collected tax funds to families. Unleash teachers to sell their schooling services directly to families. Privatize the schooling business. The value of teachers’ skills will bloom.
Re: “I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I will commit, if elected, to working for legislative action on the issue and not farming it out to unelected consultants and “experts.” And I do have some suggestions for starters.”
Here’s an answer. Resurrect the H.405 School Choice bill from the shelves of the Education Committee and get it passed. Don’t do anything else. Just pass H.405.
As Mr. Hunter points out above – “It seems ever more apparent that the government running a monopoly schooling business is just not working out.”
H.405 will break up the monopoly. Then parents can choose the education programs they believe are best for their children, improve student outcomes, AND cut education spending by about 40%.
JUST INACT H.405! It can’t be any simpler.
The bottom line is to get out and get people Registered to vote and remind them,that a vote for a Republican will be for the good for All !! Lower Taxes,less Regulation, less Government overreach
And a heck of a lot more common sense period. A vote for people that care and listen!!
VOTE RED 💚 🇺🇸 🗽 🇺🇸 👍
God bless 🙏
The Vermonter
Unfortunately, Bert, as ‘yankeebo’ cited in a previous post under a different issue, Upton Sinclair’s keen insight is a universal truth.
“It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.”
Again, the problem, as Mr. Hunter opined, is that “it seems ever more apparent that the government running a monopoly schooling business is just not working out.”
There are well established reasons for U.S. Anti-Trust laws. And the monopolized public education system is, arguably, one of the worst offenders.
Just end the public-school monopoly.
Postscript: And don’t lose sight of the forest for the trees. The problem isn’t the various special interest groups, like the teacher’s union and other associations. Their actions are ‘symptoms’ of the disease. Ending the monopoly will cure the actual disorder.
“I don’t pretend to have all the answers”
Sell the schools – Give parents the $35k+ for spending on the child – Provide a statewide online school with the MOST qualified teachers. Fix the internet we have already paid to fix multiple times. Provide spaces in libraries for the small number of students this won’t work for.
We can’t afford the carbons for traditional schooling, or we will all die from the climate.
Pass it on.
Re: ““I don’t pretend to have all the answers.”
That’s the point behind School Choice. I don’t have all of the answers either. No one person, secretary of education, or school board, has all of the answers. Let parents and educators, operating in a dynamic educational free market, determine what’s best for each individual student.
I’ve said it before and I’ll suggest it again. A 25-50 cent toll on I-91 would most likely entirely fund education, give the 14% property tax back to Vermont residents and probably generate enough revenue to get an additional refund.
Re: “…A 25-50 cent toll”???
Even at the peak of 50 cents for a toll, that would mean 5.4 billion vehicles would have to drive on I-91 every year to foot the education bill. That would be about 15 million vehicles every day of the year, or more than 600,000 vehicles every hour of every day of the year.
Of course, unless they are all electric vehicles, the Clean Heat Standard would be blown out of the water.
On second thought… this idea is probably just what our legislators would consider to be a feasible revenue source.
Thanks for your response and for doing the math. I’d say continue to do the math to for the toll suggestion to get to the figures we need. If you’re willing to pay $10 for a cheese burger at Stratton, then 2-3 dollars is pocket change
Re: “I’d say continue to do the math to for the toll suggestion to get to the figures we need.”
The math is easy, Michael. We are currently required to pay $2.7 Billion annually to fund Vermont’s public K-12 education system… and that’s not ‘pocket change’ for most of us.