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Needed for better emergency response, supporters say
By Michael Bielawski
State leaders are rethinking Vermont’s approach to regional governance, which is determined by some as insufficient for emergency responses.
“In summary, Vermont’s county governance is very limited and namely involves regional law enforcement performed by sheriffs and State’s Attorneys and the care and superintendence of county property by assistant judges, i.e. county courthouses and offices for county officers,” stated a report from Tim Devlin of the Legislative Counsel to the County and Regional Governance Study Committee.
A state mandate
According to S. 159 or Act 118, as signed into law this year, requires the State to create the Committee to “address local government capacity challenges, enhance and optimize public safety, regional collaboration and planning, efficient, equitable, and transparent public resource allocation, and effective regional public services for individuals and municipalities.”
Devlin’s report notes that the State Constitution allows the General Assembly “the absolute power to create and modify counties, similar to other political subdivisions of the State.”
It says county governance traditionally ”operates as an electoral district for assistant judges, state’s attorneys, and sheriffs, as well as, in some cases, state senators and probate judges. It is a judicial district for the superior court and some probate court systems, and maintains courthouse facilities.”
What will it cost?
Rep. Mark Higley, R – Lowell, spoke with VDC by phone on Monday about how it’s going with the Committee’s work. The Committee met on Monday morning to hear about how other states function their county governance.
He said at the meeting that he would like to know more about the cost implications. He said, “As we go through this process I think it’s important to compare what the cost is going to be and how it works in regards to the difference between a county form of governance and an increase maybe in administrative costs to do maybe a similar thing [at the county level].”
Sen. Ruth Hardy, D-Addison, co-chair of the Committee, agreed with that sentiment.
“Getting at the cost-benefit analysis I think is something hopefully we’ll be able to do with UVM, with the help of JFO [the Joint Fiscal Office], I think we need to figure out that comparison,” she said.
Higley suggested concerns a new level a bureaucracy could potentially undermine municipal control over a situation.
“What are some of the actual problems and what are some of the solutions?” Higley said. He also said that the committee is “not necessarily looking for a third form of government.”
Are towns really struggling?
Higley said that he would like the committee to hear more directly from some of the small towns if they feel they needed more help or not regarding the federal aid. He also expressed confidence that municipalities found the best uses of federal funds intended as flood relief.
According to a Seven Days report, one thing current local governance needs help with is going after federal funds.
“That makes broader approaches to flood mitigation more difficult, as towns have to effectively band together,” their report states. “Many worry that this also hinders municipalities’ ability to navigate federal bureaucracy and, ultimately, secure funds.”
Yet it notes that the Town of Plainfield, despite its lacking help from a county government, faired OK.
“Nevertheless, the group, which had formed after flooding devastated the town this summer, presented a new, bold vision of Plainfield. They imagined reengineering washed-out Brook Road — a project that would likely cost between $10 million and $15 million — and restoring vast swaths of floodplain.”
The author is a writer for the Vermont Daily Chronicle
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Categories: Local government, State Government
Yeah, because what we need is MORE government. More “progressive” government. Maybe we can even form a “commission” or a “blue ribbon panel” of “experts”. Gack!!
Folks, mandates are not law. No one is obligated to follow them. I personally refuse to, and I extend that to any law which I personally deem un-Constitutional. I suggest you start doing the same. It’s liberating. Is that “civil disobedience”? I guess. Labels don’t matter. Does that make me a Libertarian? Dunno, but if it does, I’m fine with that. Maybe it’s simply my stubborn, independent Yankee heritage.
What I do know is, more people should get on board with living this way. Speak truth to power. Call a liar a liar. Call a fraud a fraud. Call big government not what the Founding Fathers intended. All true.
And in the bigger picture, I think that’s way more important than following the herd. As they say, I’d rather die on my feet than live on my knees. You?
Thomas Jefferson once said :’The government that governs closest to those people governed, governs best”, I for one believe that is very true, so in that sense, DO NOT go anywhere or do anything that will be in conflict with Jefferson’s words.
All I hear is another level of bureaucracy and more taxes . When has that ever made anything better ?
NO, NO, and emphatically NO!
The only way I would support expanding county government is if the State shrinks its bureaucracy. The legislation would have to contain explicit provisions for the dismantling of state-level agencies and clear transfer of power from the state to the new county-level bureaucracy. This would be a good thing if it happened.
Will the state give up any of its power? I doubt it. So, adding more puppets at the county level is probably not a good idea.
I hope to high heavens this doesn’t happen.
If it does, it better be an elected position.
The unelected Town Manager of bennington has been on the payroll for nearly 50 years, has no record of success and will prolly stick around for another 10 or 15 years despite the local folks begging for a change.
This just adds more bureaucratic layers and bureaucratic excellence to a system already burdened by the pursuit of bureaucratic excellence. It is another idea which will increase taxes and inefficiencies.
Guaranteed, it will cost more, increase the size of the bureaucracy, and centralize more power at the state level.
They cannot help themselves. In order to justify their existence, they need to conjure up more “things to do”. When I see the name Ruth Hardy, I get very concerned as I have watched her in meetings where it was clear she was not interested in hearing an opposing view. She was too busy pretending to be doing something else to even look at the person presenting. Shameful unprofessional behavior.
We do not need more government; we need less and need it to be working for and not against the taxpayers. We actually need a blue-ribbon volunteer committee to review and reduce the size of government and its spending habits. What we will always notice is that government feeds off itself and continues to grow. How can it be that our largest employer is the state of Vermont? At one time it was IBM who on any given day had 12,000 people on site with good paying jobs. Our liberal left chased them out of the state with little concern for the health of that company and any future employees they may have had.
Our second largest employer is the medical center… you add it all up.
We need more balance in Montpelier in order to help Gov. Scott restore some sanity to it all. Save the state and vote in a few more republicans. There are fewer and fewer each year who can afford to live here without being on some sort of handout.
A super majority in either direction is not good for the taxpayers.
Great. Just what we need another money hungry top heavy bureaucracy to send more of my retirement tax dollars too.
How did the move to Union school districts improve education and reduce cost?
No improvement at all….
Federal, state, county, and local government. Regional government does not exist. This is why you have a county sheriff that they are trying to destroy elected by the people. Get rid of the non profits that are running this state with federal funds, grants, bonds, and dark money. Half of the Vermont state government would be gone.
“Devlin’s report notes that the State Constitution allows the General Assembly “the absolute power to create and modify counties, similar to other political subdivisions of the State.” Can someone please cite the Article # within our State Constitution that says what Devlin is conveying it says? I quickly scanned it and don’t see such a provision. Please correct me or direct me.
I skimmed the presenation report – I encourage others to review it as well. Interesting letter to Grammy Yellen from our Tax Commissioner. What clearly stands out the creation of yet another “committee” and the creation of an “advisory” committee by the committee. I copied and pasted the grift portion of this “Act” of thievery – there is more installed grifting for connected connections installed – below is just a portion. This legislated grift will expire in 2026. Vermont, a grifter’s paradise indeed!
(g) Compensation and reimbursement. For attendance at meetings during
2 adjournment of the General Assembly, a legislative member of the Committee
3 serving in the member’s capacity as a legislator shall be entitled to per diem
4 compensation and reimbursement of expenses pursuant to 2 V.S.A. § 23 for
5 not more than 10 meetings. These payments shall be made from monies
6 appropriated to the General Assembly.
On or before September 1, 2024, the Executive Director of the Vermont
10 Bond Bank, shall convene the first meeting of a County and Regional
11 Governance Technical Advisory Group. The Technical Advisory Group shall
12 analyze the subject matter being considered by the County and Regional
13 Governance Study Committee and advise, assist, and provide
14 recommendations to the Study Committee, specifically on the structure and
15 organization of county and regional government. The Vermont Bond Bank
16 shall participate in order to support improvements to local capacity.
On or before September 15, 2024, the Secretary of Administration, or
16 designee, shall report to the County and Regional Governance Study
17 Committee on federal funding opportunities resulting from the disaster
18 declaration for the major flooding events of 2023 in the State, including the
19 received federal funds, the status of pending applications for funding, and
20 potential avenues for additional funds.
Hogs at the trough – it’s not about good, transparent government – it’s about making bank before the financial system implodes upon itself. Woe onto them!
good followup reporting
Make committees a felony. Make studies a felony. Make taking away local power a felony. Never trust the mafia.
Reorganization creates an illusion of progress. It might not be necessary if we had a higher skill level among the legislature.
To quote a wonderful old Italian gentleman: “The fish – it stinks from the head.”