[W]INOOSKI — Town Meeting Day in the Onion City will take place in the shadow of development projects that are not yet underway.
The three candidates vying for two seats on the Winooski City Council each said they were well qualified to help city government navigate the opportunities and pitfalls of continued growth.
A proposed hotel on Winooski Falls Way and the return of the Higher Ground concert venue to Main Street are hotly anticipated projects that many say could make the city’s popular downtown even more attractive — but they raise serious questions about parking.
“I don’t think that parking in Winooski is a problem, per se, but I do think we’re at capacity,” said Eric Covey, during a Channel 17 debate
Covey is a newcomer taking on two incumbents, Nicole Mace and Robert Millar. He is chief of staff to Secretary of State Jim Condos, and through that role he said he’s developed a good understanding of state and local government.
Covey said he would be an advocate for “sustainable, common sense” development that can build the city’s tax base to reduce the property tax burden.
Millar, who previously served on the school board, noted that Winooski doesn’t have space to expand horizontally, so new development necessarily means upward growth.
That will take careful planning, and Winooski’s decision to hire Jesse Baker as city manager shows the council is headed in the right direction. Millar said he’s eager for a second term, because he would the opportunity to work with Baker, who formerly held the same position in Montpelier.
Nicole Mace, the executive director of the Vermont School Boards Association, said she too is excited about Winooski’s growth, but added that it’s critical to make sure it happens equitably for one of the most diverse communities in the state.
Voters will be asked to select two of the candidates for a two-year term on the council.
Residents will also weigh in on a $15.9 million school budget, which represents a 6.8 percent increase in spending over last year. More than $2 million of that comes from federal grants, with most of the remaining amount being paid through education property tax.
The budget would pay for an additional English language learning teacher, a special needs educator and music teacher. It also pays for a new part-time guidance counselor position and full-time custodian as well as a new transportation pilot.
The city budget being considered by voters will ask them to approve a $6.2 million budget, $5.2 million of which is paid with municipal taxes. That’s a less than one percent increase for taxpayers, according to city officials.
