by Guy Page
House Democrats say freezing property taxes “would be a really hard thing to do.”
Lori Houghton, House Majority Leader, was asked by the Vermont Daily Chronicle today if she supports a proposal by Rep. Gina Galfetti (R-Barre Town) to freeze property taxes for three years. Houghton, a representative from Essex, was speaking at the Democratic caucus’s first press conference of the 2026 session.
As reported yesterday by VDC, Galfetti has proposed equal cuts across every state agency in order to give voters zero increase in property taxes while the State of Vermont implements systemic education funding reform.
While saying Galfetti’s proposal is similar to a proposal to cap costs for school districts, Houghton said that “Costwise, we have to be very careful about looking at this proposal. That would be a really hard thing to do, when we have cost increases every year.” The rising cost of health care, salaries and other fixed costs makes a property tax freeze problematic, House Democrats say.
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Categories: State House Spotlight
Oh spare me! Translation, “We don’t want to change anything”.
Yes, indeed, the Dems are saying, “No, we must reject common-sense proposals so we can keep gauging the taxpayers and squeezing every dime possible out of them. We are in charge, so shut up.”
Great Point JP, we wouldn’t want our elected ‘Representatives’ to do anything difficult (Hard) {sarcasm}
Vermont democrat legislators count on the fact that most people dont own a politics to english dictionary. Their party is OWNED lock, stock and barrel by the VTNEA teachers’ union. Allowed since an executive order by President John Kennedy, it’s high time for our current President to reverse that and ABOLISH all public-sector unions. Public employees already have all the representation they deserve from elected legislators and executives.
? Vice Admiral Joseph K. Taussig (1877 – 1947)? Norfolk Va icon, related?
A three year tax freeze is “A hard thing to do” not to mention, that it would mean that they would have to be responsible stewards of our tax money ! How about a COLA based on the previous year’s inflation ? Na, never mind. That would require them giving up complete control as well. Right now our legislators answer to no one ! Oh I forgot they answer to the citizens, right ? Riiiight ! I don’t know about you, but I wish that I’d worked at a place where I could go out shopping, and then come back to my boss, and tell him that I spent X amount of money, and I need a raise now to cover my, iresponsable, spendthrift habits . That is the way the government operates, and if you question that formula, they will tell you that is just the way it is ! That needs to change before real reform will ever happen ! They need to set a budget first, then live within it, just as citizens are expected to do !
Our legislators answer to the VTNEA and VSEA who launder millions of public dollars back into the coffers of the democrat party. This scenario exists with the regular approval of a majority of Vermont voters…simply inexplicable.
I have a message for Lori Houghton, now lets start with giving up your free food card or your FIRED. Now, any questions??????????
Someone needs to take all control of education from from Montpelier and return it to the cities and towns.That is where the responsibility belongs.
The Brigham Decision in the Vermont Supreme Court said that equitable education funding is a statewide responsibility, but teachers and other members of our bloated education system refuse to be treated as “state workers”. They want it both ways.
Democrats in the Vermont Legislature can calculate what the Earths average temperature will be in 2035 but can’t figure out how to freeze property taxes for a few years while the system is revamped !!!!!
Ron, they’ll probably vote to have some of their non-gubmint buddies study it for two or three years spending millions.
Democrats won’t freeze your property tax because they won’t be able to misuse your taxpayers money. Democrats are now listed as domestic terrorists. Stop voting Democrat!! they are a threat to our national security and our freedom. we do not want a democracy!
According VDC yesterday, Gina Galfetti wrote, “school funding has sky rocketed and the number of students and their test scores have plummeted. The system is not working for the kids, or the taxpayers, and it is time to stop throwing more money into a broken system.” The rich dems send their children to private schools and they don’t care how much your taxes go up. They don’t care how much healthcare costs have gone up either. It doesn’t phase them- maybe you middle class will move out of state so the socially privileged dems will have more control over everyone.
Governor tell the dems that they have to work with republicans to figure this out. Taxpayers need tax relief. Cuts need to be made. Where is the media?—-People need to take notice and names if these dems refuse to co-operate. Its a perfect issue to get them kicked out of office and this news needs to get out there because the dems have had ample time to work something out yet they have refuse to budge. They are negligent.
Gosh, I hate to say I was right. But. Look for my comment from JUST yesterday. The Ds WON”T EVEN ENTERTAIN DOING SOMETHING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TAX PAYERS!! So much for the popcorn.
Yes .It’s hard for junkies to stop drugs, house Dems.
You take property from hard working families, like it is your personal never ending piggy bank, without a thought for the turmoil, and agony, you place on honest hard working Vermont families…while you bask in the comforts of your 5 minutes of infamy, after the hard working Vermonters sweat blood and tears, to pay off their homes, then YOU force tyranny upon they that feed you, by lording over their homes, until you break them, and drive them out of house, home and state, for many, then have the nerve to say…Well…”A freeze is a hard thing to do!”
Biggest bunch of low class riff raff I ever seen, collectively come down the pike!
Now that the President and team are going to clean up the voting process, and clean up the rolls, you have about a snowballs chance in hell, to maintain your offices much longer.
Better brush up your CV’s, you are going to need it…if anyone will hire such heartless losers.
There will be a special place in hell for the likes of you, when judgement day comes.
I don’t know how you can look at yourself, in the morning, in the mirror, unless you’ve been possessed by gleeful demons that likes the reflection you see .
Shame on you!
Now about those voting machines…
Oh Lori, Lori, Lori, have you even taken the time to think about this. Maybe you can afford all the things you think Vermonters need, but, dammit, I can’t! Try to live in a resort town on less than $20,000 per year. Has the State thought about a GoFundMe.
Wait, we already are.
What is more insulting is that the school districts themselves don’t feel 12% is enough and they are asking for more money!! As if they didn’t kick us in the ass last year with the historic rate hike in education taxes!! Did the student’s grads improve? Hell no!! I was watching a past school board meeting. A board member/teacher stated if we want the students to do better, we have to pay more. We can’t let them do this to us again. No one is entitled to a raise when they aren’t doing their job.
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My eighth grade class motto was, “Nothing is accomplished without work”. If our class could think like that, why can’t you? BTW, that was 59 years ago and it still holds true today. So, sharpen your pencils, grab a new battery for your calculator, and keep in mind that the retired people that support you, only got a 2.8% increase this year.
Sadly, it seems these Dems in the VT legislature never made it to the eighth grade.
Only the taxpayers can resolve this taxation problem…. it’s called voting.
Paper ballots, same day voting, only one vote on budgets and if it fails
we go to last year’s budget. The majority in the house is owned by education and unless the voters make changes we will get plenty of the same. This is not rocket
science…. its common sense (do we still teach that?).
Hmmmm…I wonder if this is their plan to gain more housing?
People can’t afford to pay the outrageous property taxes, then they become delinquent, and finally they go to tax sale. No matter what your home is worth, if you do not pay, it goes to the highest bidder.
Will we ever be able to stand together and just say no to the way Montpelier is setting our tax rate?
No the hard thing to do is to keep paying higher taxes every year!
Watch Leslie Goldman, stage left, for future endeavors.
In my opinion it is harder for retirees on fixed incomes are forced to use their savings to pay for the yearly increase in the property tax. Why does the state negotiate contracts with the NEA that are clearly unaffordable for Vermonters to fund the poor quality of education the we get for our money.
Savings???
Good point Dan. What savings.
Savings= Even if you budget more than last year, but not as much as you want to raise it, the difference between the two is the ‘savings’ in Congressional, Legislative terms
What are you guy’s complaining about? You refuse to get involved with your local elections, so of course the Progressives can do whatever they want, including loading the ballot box with armloads of “special voting operation” ballots. The other ploy for school budgets is to keep it whisper quiet that there is an upcoming vote at all: they know the only ones who will show up at the ballot box are the teachers union and their family members. HaHaHa. You guy’s are a bunch of air bags. Dupes. Morons: crawl back into your mud huts and prepare to hand over all of your valuables. The Tax collector is a’comin, and he aims to please the unions.
Sadam, we complain because we have that right. We are tired of having to do everything that Chittenden and Washington Counties want. It’s time to “Take Back Vermont” or start the TEA (taxed enough already) Party back up. The older population are never considered when some of these stupid bills are suggested.
When does it end? Spend spend spend, that’s all they think about!