Six more school districts face budget voters tonight, tomorrow
By Guy Page
With the Legislature poised to approve a school funding ‘reform’ bill H.887 that includes a 12-15% property tax increase and four other tax increases, several school districts in Orange County will vote on school budgets tonight, and four other school districts statewide will vote tomorrow.
33 towns rejected school budgets at Town Meeting in the face of a proposed 20% statewide property tax increase. Since then, 21 of the 33 have rejected budgets a second time. H.887, which may pass the Legislature this week and face a gubernatorial veto, does not reduce spending but increases homestead (14.3%) and non-homestead (18%) property taxes and adds new taxes on short-term rental, “Cloud” internet services.
The Senate also is reportedly considering taxing clothing purchases of more than $150, raising taxes on sugared drinks, and dipping into reserve funds and tax surpluses to further reduce the property taxes.
As of this morning, neither budget reductions nor school budgets imposing budgets after three rejections by voters (“Three Strikes, You’re Out”) are on the table.
Orange County towns vote tonight – The Journal-Opinion reports today that Bradford and Newbury residents will gather for the Oxbow Unified Union School District annual meeting tonight at 5:30 p.m. at Oxbow High School.
Total spending will approach $21 million under the proposed 2024-2025 budget to be voted on. Education spending will increase 16.25% over the current year, according to figures in the annual report.
Despite almost double the equalized pupils, a weighting factor the state uses to calculate tax rates, the continued decline in the common level of appraisal in both Bradford and Newbury may contribute to property tax increases. Projections show homestead rate increases of 11.8% and 11.2% in Bradford and Newbury, respectively.
The formal business portion of the meeting, including the budget vote, will get underway at 6:30 p.m. It is preceded by an informational session which starts at 5:30 p.m.
Corinth and Topsham residents will have an opportunity tonight to vote on the proposed Waits River Valley School District budget for 2024-2025.
Total spending is expected to cross $8 million for the first time with nearly $7.5 million coming from taxes. Despite a 12.7% increase in education spending, the homestead tax rates are projected to decline in Corinth and increase less than 2% in Topsham. The non-homestead rates in both towns show anticipated increases.
Voting on the budget will take place in person from the floor on May 6 at 6 p.m. at WRVS.
Essex, Westford, Alburgh, Berlin, Calais, East Montpelier, Middlesex & Worcester, Walden, Barnet, Waterford, South Hero to revote school budgets – Voters in towns that have rejected school budgets will get a second bite at the apple in voting tomorrow.
Whether or not they spit it out will be reported as soon as results are available. Voting times and locations, as known by VDC, are as follows:
Berlin, Calais, East Montpelier, Middlesex & Worcester – voting for these Washington Central School District towns is by ‘Australian ballot’ (voting booth). Some towns open polls at 7 AM, some at 10 AM, and all close at 7 PM.
Essex-Westford, 7 AM – 7 PM – Town of Essex: Essex Middle School in the Town of Essex. Town of Westford: Westford School in the Town of Westford. City of Essex Junction: Champlain Valley Expo Blue Ribbon Pavilion in the City of Essex Junction.
Waterford – from 10 AM – 7 PM in the Waterford School gym.
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Categories: Education, Legislation
What part of “stop raising taxes and stop overspending” do they not get?
No they don’t understand to stop spending…..
And as taxes pile on, so shall revenue drop, losers. The outlet stores will all soon be closing with no state incentive to keep them here. Second homeowners will shop elsewhere. Your residents who remain will be the ones primarily being punished your overspending and your wasteful radicalized social programs….and now they are finally paying attention. You have destroyed VT and karma will get you. It isn’t instant as Lennon sang of, but it will get you.
Thank God I live 3 miles from the New Hampshire border. And Thank God I don’t own a business 3 miles from the NH border. Democrats don’t care about the people struggling to survive selling goods near NH. It’s all about the AGENDA-to hell with the people they claim to represent.
The schools need to tighten their belts and spend responsibly just like everyone else. They can start with half of the administration employees and take it from there.
Just in case elite members of the Vermont Legislature have forgotten (or choose to ignore):
Soft drinks purchases paid with assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or food stamps are EXEMPT from sales tax.
Well, Gerry, they don’t want to punish those on the guvmint dole…..only us hardworking tax paying folks.
I don’t care what plans are dreamed up to increase school funding, it will be likely
” squandered ” away on nonsense by the gaggle of fools we have in Montpelier as they apparently can’t balance anything, but they sure know how to spend !!
School funding shouldn’t be mostly on the backs of homeowners, you can add a consumption tax that way everyone pays towards school funding which includes paying inflated salaries and benefit plans, as your kids are below in all levels but we are paying $24k per student while most states are $16k – $20k and grade scores are higher ……………… now isn’t that funny ??
Wake up people, they only care about themselves, your financial concerns are falling on deaf ears, the proof is in the pudding, want changes, vote them out, that’s when they start to listen to you………………………..
Tax hogs! Utilize what you’ve been given WAY more wisely!!!
I wonder when checkpoints at the NH border will start.
Those won’t happen until they create and fund the State Sales Tax Border Patrol Department, Commissioners, Assistant Commissioners, Chief Deputies, Deputies, Administrators, and Agents. Of course that will require an outside consulting agency . . . well you get the picture, just more bureaucracy
Stop with the taxes already!
Amazing the crazy ideas Montpelier comes up with! I wish I could help them in the direction of CUTS, not new taxes and tax increases! So So crazy! The citizens of Vermont are tightening their belts, now it’s Montpelier time 🇺🇸🇺🇸
What happened to getting the billionaires to “pay their fair share?” Did that chase away the billionaires and got them to reverse parties by funding the Left which I guess they can expense by way of non-profit donation line itemizing. Lol.
Time to hold the line on taxes. Cutbacks are needed in pay, benefits, and unnecessary school programs and non-required classes. Tough times equals tough measures, not additional taxes.
It’s been proven through time that tax cuts lower deficits more effectively than additional taxation.
We’re still haggling over how to get more money to support failed government schooling businesses and their huge infrastructures. It seems ever so simple to just get out of the schooling business…withdraw funding, give the funds back to parents and let them buy what they want to educate their kids. Isn’t it time we recognized that running these intrusive unresponsive businesses has been a bust. With funds in the hands of families schools can restructure themselves in response to parent (customer) demand. We’ll have an educational renaissance. Just think, competing courses on all kinds of stuff…maybe even pronoun usage.
How about cutting spending? Do we need two or three principals in the schools plus the assistants? What about the class sizes of eight students or less? The State can make cuts as well. Cut any positions that have assistant and deputy in front of them. Top heavy management is a major waste of taxpayer dollars.
VCurtis H, I like your pitching. You have thrown ALL strikes in your suggestions.
Someway, somehow there has to be a concept that breaks away from the past practices, which have proven to be dismal failures. But it will need to come from some folks who have not had any skin in the planning and execution of plans except for paying the bills.
With the countless millions of$ thrown around in those palaces between the Legislature and Education Administration one would think that outcomes would shine! Oh my, they are shining like a burned out light bulb from the days of Edison.
These numb skulls in the Legislature have to go; it should have happened 10 years ago.
this is utterly despicable, disgraceful and disgusting. CUT TAXES already!! CUT funding to the BLOB aka, the Vermont public school systems and anyone or anything having anything to do with it. The Legislature is just trying throw more dollars at a dead/dying horse. You’ve made your bed “REPRESENTATIVES” , now you must lay in it. WHEN will you start representing the PEOPLE and not the lobbyists and special interests that do NOTHING for the people?? (this goes for all that “climate change NONSENSE too!!) Those that have been under dome any length of time are to blame for where these budgets are today. SHAME ON YOU!!! And to borrow CHenrys VERY FACTUAL information “we are paying $24k per student while most states are $16k – $20k and grade scores are higher” Just admit the Vermont public schools are a dismal failure.
Taxing the purchase of clothing as well as other essentials seems like a good topic for a Johnny Bananas satire. I wish I were so talented – I can picture a future VT dress code of Mao jackets and pajama bottoms, digital tracking of paid taxes, and high rise apartments like those in China where people were so easily locked down and confined during covid.
flush them all
“KEISERENS NYE KLÆDER” … A VERMONT PARODY.
So off went the Vermont legislators in procession under their splendid canopies. Everyone in the streets and the windows said, “Oh, how fine are their new clothes! Don’t they fit to perfection? And see their long trains!”
Nobody would confess that they couldn’t see anything, for that would prove them either unfit for their position, or a fool. No costume the legislators had worn before was ever such a complete success.
“But they haven’t got anything on,” a little child said.
“Did you ever hear such innocent prattle?” said its father. And one person whispered to another what the child had said, “They haven’t anything on. A child says they haven’t anything on.”
“But they haven’t got anything on!” – the whole town cried out at last.
The legislators shivered, for they suspected the town’s people were right. But they thought, “This procession has got to go on.” So they walked more proudly than ever, as their noblemen held high the trains that weren’t there at all.
These politicians are so stupid it’s comical. They are actually pushing people to shop in NH and then wonder why they are not getting any revenue. So then want to pass a law to tax clothing so people will now go to NH to buy their clothing creating two losers: Vermont businesses and the State’s coffers.
Brattleboro: 6% state sales tax, 1% Brattleboro sales tax. Spend $100 on taxable goods in NH save $7 that pays for your Biden Burger off the dollar menu.
Looking at Tennessee, I used to be higher middle class now semi-retired poor. One of my adult children left VT, the other can’t afford a house and may also be leaving. I never dreamed of dying a poor man in VT. I can’t quit working. If I stay, my new goal will be to die wherever I’m working.
Just another indentured slave to my overlords and an agenda designed to control everything and everyone. Look how we have forgotten what these people did to us just 3 years ago. Remember “Safe and Effective”? We all have to die at some point, and I would rather die a free man in a free state. You can blame the legislature for the demise of this once great republic, and you can also blame those who gave them their offices by voting for them.
The colonials had more freedom under the Crown in the 1700s than we do right now. Our legislature has the reverse King Midas touch. Everything they touch turns to S–t. The true definition of crazy is the liberal progressive voter because nothing is more important to them than feeling good about themselves no matter who it harms.