Kurt Wright did not have to say anything during a brief but tense City Council debate on Monday over a proposed 2 cent tax increase earmarked for Burlington police and firefighters. The Republican candidate for mayor had already made his opposition clear and knows how to count votes.
The tax increase was defeated 11-3, with only Progressive Vince Brennan, Independent Sharon Bushor and Progressive Emma Mulvaney-Stanak voting in favor.
The next day, despite his no vote, Wright captured the endorsement of the Burlington Police Officers Association. At a Tuesday afternoon press conference streamed live from his downtown campaign office, Association President John Federico credited Wright’s experience and style for the backing.
The union, which has 70 members, did not endorse Wright in his previous two runs for mayor. In 1981 its backing of Bernie Sanders helped fuel the momentum of his first mayoral race. In 1993, it endorsed Republican Peter Brownell in a successful run against Peter Clavelle. Two years later the association backed Clavelle in his comeback, and endorsed him in two subsequent races.
Wright and Democratic candidate Miro Weinberger have argued that information provided by city officials and staff is not sufficient to justify a tax hike, even one earmarked for public safety. Both would prefer to review city finances with their own teams after the election.
Weinberger thinks an “alternative budget” that avoids any tax increase may be possible. Wright says he wants to take a close look at everything but hasn’t ruled out a special election before the end of June. That would cost up to $12,000, according to city officials.
The third candidate, Wanda Hines, supports the city tax increase “reluctantly,” but insists that she would be more frugal with the city’s money than either of her opponents.
During a Monday debate led by students at Burlington’s Sustainability Academy in the Old North End, Hines said that she is also leaning toward support of a 10.8 percent increase in the school tax. Referring to analysis provided by the Burlington School District, she noted that taxes on a $200,000 homes in Burlington would go up by about $22.50 a month, an amount she considers reasonable to maintain educational quality.
Wright told the students that, even for education, there are just too many concerns about costs for him to support the school district’s proposal. Weinberger said he is studying the issue and will take a position soon.
Even the state budget has become a local campaign issue. Last week Wright, a member of both the City Council and Vermont’s House of Representatives, initially joined 41 Republicans in voting no on the Budget Adjustment Act related to FY 2012 spending. The Vermont Democratic Party immediately criticized him for casting what they described as a “party-line vote against critical funding for social work, substance abuse intervention, law enforcement and refugee resettlement initiatives.”
Party Chair Jake Perkinson, a Burlington resident, accused Wright of following “the obstructionist game plan of his Republican Party that is cynically applied in Washington DC, throughout the country and now at home in Vermont.”
Wright called the attack misleading. He cast a preliminary no vote, he said, to “express concerns about certain aspects of the legislation,” but later voted in favor of the budget adjustment. His campaign co-chair John Ewing, a Democrat, argued that Wright has a record of bipartisan voting and expressed disappointment with what he considered misinformation.
In response, two other House members from Burlington, Joey Donovan and Kesha Ram, charged that “Kurt only changed his tune once he was challenged on his vote.” Both Democrats back Weinberger.
Progressives opt to regroup
One outcome of the March 6 elections is already clear. The next mayor will not be a member of the city’s Progressive Party.
In November Mayor Bob Kiss, the third progressive to serve as chief executive since 1981, decided not to seek a third term. In December, Sen. Tim Ashe, a former Progressive Councilor who hoped to run as a fusion candidate with the Democratic nomination, lost to Weinberger in a hotly contested caucus race.
After deferring a final decision for more than a month, local Progressives voted unanimously last Sunday afternoon not to field a candidate for mayor for the first time in decades. About 30 people attended the party’s caucus at the Fletcher Free Library, somewhat fewer than showed up in December. Progressive Rep. Chris Pearson suggested that it is time to “streamline.”
In a post-Caucus statement, Party Vice-Chair Elijah Bergman said that Progressives believe “the best way we can continue to stand up for low and moderate income residents is to focus on winning city council seats.”
The Party has nominated only two council candidates, however. In Ward 2, Max Tracy will compete with Democrat Eric Covey for a seat being vacated by Democrat Dave Berezniak. In Ward 3, Rachel Siegel has been recruited for a race against Democrat Sean Hurley to fill the spot currently held by Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, who plans to take a break from elected office after three years in office.
Local Democrats have five candidates, including Ward 1 incumbent Ed Adrian, who so far has no opponent, Bryan Aubin in Ward 4, and Chip Mason in Ward 5.
Bergman said members of his party “look forward to meeting with the announced mayoral candidates and sharing our priorities and vision for the city.” Yet he also has suggested that an endorsement for Hines may be discussed, although she has not requested it. At the caucus Hines appeared to be the clear favorite.
Shortly afterward, Weinberger issued a statement proposing a coalition “to tackle vital affordable housing, education, environmental, poverty and workers issues facing the city.” He credited the Progressive Party for making “enormous progress over the last 30 years as a result of strong leadership” and said he hoped to “earn the support of Burlington Progressives.” To date, the positive comments have not been reciprocated.
Weinberger argues that progress has stalled in Burlington during the last six years, but he has been careful to assign most of the blame to Mayor Kiss. During the caucus fight, Ashe and the other Democrats in the race took a similar stand.
Many progressives also think that Kiss has been a poor communicator and criticize his handling of financial troubles at Burlington Telecom. Hines, who works on equity issues in the city’s Community and Economic Development Office, defends the administration’s efforts in many areas.
Tax hike nixed, at least for a while
During City Council debate about the budget and possible tax increases to avoid cuts in services, Democrat Ed Adrian made the strongest case for letting the voters decide in March. “The new mayor doesn’t have to spend it,” he suggested.
Tweeting to followers during the session about the impact of a tax increase on property taxes, Adrian explained: “+2 cents tax authority = $40yr/200k house $60/300k & $80/400k & the new #BTVmayor has the option 2 use some or none.” He made the same point to the council: the proposed 2 cent increase would cost the average homeowner about $60 a year.
In a Jan. 13 memo, Mayor Kiss pointed to “significant shortfalls in the Police and Fire budgets” as a major reason for the request. Burlington has not increased the tax rate for city services for the last six years, although Kiss has recommended doing so more than once.
Without the approximate $700,000 that would be generated by a 2 cent city tax hike, acting Chief Administration Officer Scott Schrader projects that public safety departments might be forced to eliminate more than a dozen positions. Other departments would also face cuts, Kiss noted in his memo.
Revenues from the city’s sales and gross receipts taxes could change that forecast, but second quarter information on those revenue sources will not be available from the state until next month, too late to factor into the decision about a tax request in March. Monday’s council session was also the deadline for approving ballot items.
Several councilors argued that they didn’t know enough to make an informed choice. A few said they don’t completely trust the information they have seen.
Independent Sharon Bushor objected to the latter concern. “I trust our staff,” she said. “The information provided is from the financial experts.”
Democrat Bram Kranichfeld, who competed for the mayoral nod, argued that giving a “rubber stamp” for a tax hike without sufficient information was an abdication of responsibility. The council was being “subjected to scare tactics” in relation to possible public safety cuts, he said. “How about not raising taxes and not cutting Police and Fire?”
Like others, Kranichfeld said it would be better to wait and let the new mayor review the situation. Democrat Norm Blais, a Weinberger supporter, said that the current climate is too negative and “people will be more receptive” once Burlington has new leadership.
But timing could be a problem, according to Councilor Joan Shannon. The next mayor will take office in April and the city must adopt a budget before the end of June. If a special election is needed, the new administration will have less than two months to conduct a thorough budget review, get a ballot item through the Council, and make its case.
Adrian argued that waiting to decide could tie the next mayor’s hands. He also warned that lower turnout at special elections could make passage more difficult.
Pointing out that the council was debating “the next mayor’s budget,” Shannon predicted that “if the mayoral candidates are opposed, it can’t pass.” And if that happens, she added, “it will be hard to go back” with another request.
Talking issues with the kids
The latest mayoral forum, held on Monday morning, may turn out to be the most unusual in this election cycle. Fourth- and fifth-graders organized the event, asked the questions and enforced strict time limits, with an occasional assist from the staff of the Sustainability Academy at Lawrence Barnes, a magnet school.
The topics covered a broad range of concerns – taxes, crime, homelessness, childhood hunger, Intervale farming, helping people with disabilities, disaster planning, and keeping Lake Champlain clean.
Hines, Weinberger and Wright talked to more than 100 youngsters and a smattering of adults in a school auditorium decorated with colorful banners that celebrate values like community, diversity and kindness as well as concepts like “we’re all connected” and “everyone matters.”
The candidates kept most of their answers simple and seldom disagreed. Hines pledged to bring in a team “built on trust, unity and community,” Weinberger said he planned to move his office into a city school for one week out of each year, and Wright talked about mobilizing resources to end childhood hunger.
On the proposed 10.8 percent school tax increase, however, Wright was frank. “Unfortunately I am not going to support that,” he said. “People are concerned about the cost.” Weinberger mentioned that he has met with Superintendent Jeanne Collins but wants to know more “before I come up with a position.”
Hines referred to analysis by the school district that projects the average tax impact at about $22.50 per month on a home valued at $200,000. “So if you ask me, I would support it,” she said.
According to a fact sheet available at the forum, Burlington schools are facing “a perfect storm” that consists of cost shifts from the city, severe cuts by Congress and an enrollment increase of 9.3 percent in the last decade. This contrasts with a statewide decrease of 11.3 percent during the same period. “Our population is unique with 14% New Americans and 48% students in poverty,” the handout explains.
Nevertheless, not all members of the School Board are convinced that the request is justified. On his blog, Ward 7 School Commissioner Haik Bedrosian recently mentioned his “very strong suspicion that school department is wasting money.”
Bedrosian specifically mentioned a plan to purchase laptops for students and wondered “what the ‘Magnet School Coordinator’ does for 100K.” According to the city’s published financial report for 2010, at least 27 school system employees currently make more than $100,000 a year.
“If diversity and equity were truly embedded in the culture of the Burlington School District,” Bedrosian added, “we wouldn’t need a separate diversity office (125K), now would we?”
The candidates for mayor have not questioned the shape of the school budget thus far. But Weinberger is openly skeptical about the financial information being provided by City Hall about the choice between raising the city tax rate or cutting jobs and services. Hines thinks a city tax increase is justified but would look for a way to “recoup” the money.
Wright wants to wait, review more complete numbers, examine every city program, and possibly ask a smaller tax increase in a special election. But he has already announced that the Police and Fire Departments, which account for about half of the city’s estimated $30 million budget, have nothing to fear.
If elected, however, Wright would take a hard look at the Community and Economic Development Office, which operates mainly with federal money but also currently receives about $250,000 in local funding. Part of that money goes to pay Hines’ salary as head of the Social Equity Investment Project.
CORRECTION: Due to an editing error, headline for this story originally and erroneously stated that the firefighters’ union had endorsed Kurt Wright. Additional correction: Ed Adrian supported an amendment to make the proposed 2-cent city tax increase apply to all general city services. In the final roll call vote, however, Emma Mulvaney-Stanak rather than Adrian cast the third no. Mulvaney-Stanak has served three years on the City Council, including one year representing Ward 2 before her election to a Ward 3 seat in 2010.
