by Guy Page
The Legislature must pass a bill this year that delivers future property tax relief, Gov. Phil Scott said today. But that bill won’t do anything to prevent an upward tax creep during at least the next two years, he warned.
The House-Senate conference committee on H.454, transforming education financing, reportedly will meet June 12, and the Legislature will reconvene June 16.
The education funding and governance changes – as yet undecided – would take place in four years if the Legislature has its way, less if the governor wins that argument. Either way, until then Vermont property taxpayers could face steep increases.
“Are we looking at a double digit property tax next year? Can you assure Vermonters that won’t happen in the next few years?,” VDC asked the governor at today’s press conference.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Scott said. “None of what were doing now [h.454, education funding transformation] is going to affect that.”
Vermonters will know more about future property taxes when the tax commissioner’s letter predicting the 2025-26 tax rate is published in December, he said.
Sanctuary state debate – U.S. governors, but not Scott, met with with Homeland Security chief Kristin Noem online yesterday. One of Scott’s aides was on the call. Sanctuary jurisdictions didn’t come up, Scott said. He maintained that – despite a weekend notice to the contrary by Sec. Noem – that Vermont isn’t in violation of federal immigration laws. He said Homeland Security might agree with him if they took another look at Vermont’s compliance.
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