[B]URLINGTON — United by a shared goal of depriving Miro Weinberger of a third term as Burlington’s mayor, two independent challengers sought to cast themselves as the candidates of the people during the first mayoral forum of the 2018 election season.
About 300 people turned out to hear the three mayoral candidates: Weinberger, the Democratic incumbent who is seeking a third term, longtime community organizer Infinite Culcleasure and former city councilor and state representative Carina Driscoll, both of whom are running as independents.
The two independents trained their fire on Weinberger, calling him out for leading without significant input from the city’s people, Weinberger countered early and often, touting his long record of accomplishments, amassed over six years in office.
The candidates sparred on a litany of issues: affordable housing, the future of major city-owned properties like the Moran Plant and Memorial Auditorium, marijuana legalization, safe injection sites, the sale of Burlington Telecom, the future of the Everybody Loves a Parade mural and the new ballot question about renewing opposition to bringing F-35’s to Burlington.
Watch the debate below:
A major issue was housing, and one of the first questions asked of the candidates was how to make it more affordable in Burlington.
“We are pricing ourselves out of our city,” Driscoll said. She had numerous suggestions for alleviating housing costs, including allowing people to build and rent out extra rooms in their house, and using the extra space to care for an elderly parent.
Culcleasure said part of the problem was low wages, which keep people from being able to afford housing.
“We can’t have a discussion about affordable housing without a real conversation about economic wellbeing and livable wages,” he said. Burlington’s livable wage ordinance, a rule that ensures a portion of all new housing built in the city be rented at below market rate, should be applied without exemption, he said.
Culcleasure also suggested the city consider imposing rent control to force the cost of housing down.
Weinberger, drawing upon his record, said that in the decade before he was elected mayor in 2012, he made a living building affordable housing as a developer. He said it continued as a priority in his office.
“We’ve created more than 300 permanently affordable homes,” Weinberger said, crediting the efforts of nonprofits that often partner with the city to build affordable housing. He said his budgets all have included more funding for the Housing Trust Fund, a funding pool that contributes directly to affordable housing projects.
What he needed, Weinberger said, was more time. “Given the time, this will make Burlington more affordable in the years ahead,” he said.
The candidates disagreed on safe injection sites, pitched as a safe location staffed by medical professionals where opiate addicts can use their drugs under supervision, and, in theory, get started on a path toward treatment. Both Driscoll and Weinberger say they support the idea, but Culcleasure said he would need to hear from the voters.
“It would be very difficult for a public official to say yes to, because whose neighborhood will it be in?” Culcleasure said.
A bill that would legalize safe injection sites in Vermont has stalled in the Legislature. Lawmakers and Gov. Phil Scott have legalized marijuana, effective in July. The new law legalizes the use and cultivation of marijuana, but not the sale, regulation and taxation as other states have done. Many lawmakers say that regulating marijuana is the next step for Vermont, and a commission is looking into how to do it.
The candidates disagreed on what Burlington would need to do to deal with legalization, with Driscoll saying she doesn’t see a need for new city regulations under the new law. Both Weinberger and Culcleasure said that at some point the city would need to implement a tax on marijuana commerce.
“The city needs to get money out of any legalization,” Weinberger said. If sales start through businesses, city regulators need additional money in order to deal with the new commerce, he said.
Culcleasure agreed with Weinberger, but also said some tax revenue should go toward education.
“Education around this issue for our young people is a must,” Culcleasure said.
Another issue that separated the three candidates, and was the source of some disagreement, was the ballot item asking city voters if they want the council to oppose the basing of F-35 fighter jets at the Burlington airport. Weinberger said he supports the jets. Culcleasure said he opposed them.
Driscoll said she has reservations, but that the project is moving forward. She remained open to taking action in opposition to the jets, if voters approve the ballot item in March. Weinberger took the opportunity to pounce.
“Either Carina isn’t being straight with us, or she’s trying to have it both ways,” he said.
Driscoll in turn chided Weinberger for taking a position before hearing from voters.
“I think what I’m hearing from you is, you’ve made up your mind, despite how the ballot turns out on election day,” Driscoll said. “I support what Burlingtonians support.”
The forum was attended not only by residents by the hundreds, but also those who would be working with the next mayor — whoever is elected. Sharon Bushor, the longest-serving sitting city councilor said before the forum she was undecided as to whom she will support. She remained undecided two hours later.
Weinberger didn’t say, and wasn’t asked, what he would do differently after two terms, Bushor said.
“That would have been really important to me to hear that, and I didn’t hear that at all. I heard ‘stay the course’,” Bushor said.
For Culcleasure and Driscoll, they seem to be giving voice to a disenfranchised group of residents, she said.
“They spoke to the constituency that speaks to me, about not feeling heard, not feeling like their viewpoint level is not being heard at the council level and the administration level,” Bushor said.
Kurt Wright, the only Republican on the council, also said he remained undecided. After the debate, Wright said he was starting to lean but wouldn’t say in which direction. All candidates came across well, Wright said.
“Carina, I haven’t seen her debate before and thought she did very, very well. Miro was polished and knew the issues, obviously as mayor, and Infinite brought his own issues to the table,” Wright said.
Others were impressed by Weinberger’s grasp of complicated city issues.
“The mayor really flexed his record and I think it really showed in his knowledge of the subjects,” said Alex Ferrell, secretary of Burlington’s Republican Party and a Weinberger supporter.
“Carina and Infinite were very passionate and I think they were very impressive speakers as well, but I definitely think the mayor’s record is going to do him well,” Ferrell said.
Current City Council President Jane Knodell, who is backing Driscoll, noted that the applause lines were a bit louder for the independents.
“I kind of felt like Carina and Infinite’s people were more in the room than Miro’s people,” Knodell said.
