BURLINGTON — Residents will vote on seven ballot questions March 6, Town Meeting Day.
Three ballot items are binding, and four are advisory — meaning their approval will be used to gauge public support.
The questions below appear in the same order that voters from all eight wards will see them on the ballot. Check out a sample ballot for Burlington’s Ward 1 here.
Burlington residents will elect a mayor on Town Meeting Day. Independents Carina Driscoll, a former House representative and city councilor, and Infinite Culcleasure, a community organizer, are challenging Democratic incumbent Miro Weinberger.
Check out VTDigger’s profiles of the candidates:
Can Culcleasure’s lean campaign change city politics?
Can Carina Driscoll ride an anti-Weinberger wave to City Hall?
Bond ratings and water pipes: Into the weeds with Weinberger
School Budget
The first ballot item asks voters to approve a $85 million budget for Burlington schools. The debate around this year’s school budget — has centered on a projected property tax increase of 8 percent.
Burlington school board members have, in part, blamed the increase on a hole in the education fund that is projected to increase the statewide property tax this year and is borne by all districts across the state. Lawmakers in Montpelier are looking to introduce an income tax and other components to the school funding formula to lower the statewide property tax burden.
All three mayoral candidates say they support this year’s school budget.
APPROVAL OF SCHOOL BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019
“Shall the voters of the school district approve the school board to expend $84,997,349 which is the amount the school board has determined to be necessary for the ensuing fiscal year? It is estimated that this proposed budget, if approved, will result in education spending of $15,111.81 per equalized pupil. This projected spending per equalized pupil is 0.80% higher than spending for the current year.”
Regional Dispatch
The question of whether Burlington and surrounding towns should consolidate their dispatch centers represents a major shift in the way emergency services operate in Chittenden County.
Many public safety leaders — fire and police chiefs, town managers and Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger — support consolidation. Dispatchers are almost unanimous in their opposition.
Proponents say that a regional center would reduce 911 call times. Chittenden County dispatchers have been fighting consolidation for months. They say the plan is underdeveloped, reduced call time numbers are exagerrated and they worry about job security.
Read more about the plan here.
FORMATION OF A UNION MUNICIPAL DISTRICT TO PROVIDE REGIONAL EMERGENCY DISPATCH
“Shall the City of Burlington enter into an agreement for the formation of a union municipal district to be known as the Chittenden County Public Safety Authority for the purpose of providing regional emergency dispatch?”
Infrastructure Bond
Two years ago, the Burlington City Council approved a $50 million infrastructure improvement plan. City officials said about 16 percent of city sidewalks and 23 percent of city streets are in seriously bad shape, almost half of the city’s water mains are more than 75 years old, and five of the city’s six fire engines will need to be replaced soon.
In November 2016, voters approved a $27.5 million bond to improve the city’s infrastructure.
Voters on Tuesday will be asked to approve a bond that will allow the city to borrow an additional $6.1 million toward the infrastructure plan, to be paid off over the next 20 years. The service payments on the bond will be borne by the University of Vermont and Champlain College, not the city.
UVM’s contribution to the city will be $386,000 per year, and students will shoulder the cost through a $19 fee per semester. Champlain College officials said they will make an annual $61,890 payment to the city without passing the cost on to students.
Without voter approval, the deal between UVM, Champlain and the city is void.
ISSUANCE OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AUTHORIZED
“Shall the City Council be authorized to issue general obligation bonds or notes in one or more series in an amount not to exceed Six Million One Hundred Thousand Dollars and 00/100 ($6,100,000.00), to fund capital improvement infrastructure projects of the City and its departments in furtherance of the City’s ten-year capital plan, with the expectation that the University of Vermont and Champlain College will make contributions to the City in support of such ten-year capital plan that will reduce the amount of property taxes needed for future debt service on such bonds or notes?”
Climate Action
Thirty-eight Vermont towns will have a question that looks very similar to the one Burlington voters will see on climate action, thanks to the Burlington-based environmental group 350Vermont.org.
The group used petition drives to add the question to town ballots. 350Vermont representatives say Vermont isn’t shifting to renewable energy sources quickly enough, and they hope the resolution will put pressure on state officials to take action.
“People recognize that climate change is urgent and that our political leadership is falling short on solutions,” Maeve McBride, 350Vermont director said.
ADVISORY BALLOT QUESTION RE: CLIMATE ACTION
“Shall the voters of Burlington urge the Governor and Members of the General Assembly of the State of Vermont to:
a. Actively pursue more policies and programs that will lead to achieving the goal of 90% renewable energy for all people in Vermont, with firm interim deadlines; and
b. Ensure that the transition to renewable energy is fair and equitable for all residents, with additional support for low-income people, or rural communities?”
Funding affordable housing in perpetuity
If approved, this measure would signal to the Burlington City Council that it should raise more taxes for the Housing Trust Fund, a pool of city money that is used to support housing nonprofits.
The Housing Trust Fund is currently funded through city property tax revenues. Last year, the fund spent more than $500,000 on projects. Records show that three groups were major beneficiaries: Champlain Housing Trust, Habitat for Humanity and the Committee on Temporary Shelter.
The ballot originally asked voters for permission to levy a 1 percent sales tax on any house that sells for more than $500,000. Councilors changed the language, and it now asks if voters want the council to “adopt progressive local option revenues” for the Housing Trust Fund.
Public comment on the issue was split, though most of the people who spoke were under the impression that the 1 percent sales tax was included in the question. Both James Lockridge and Brian Pine, candidates for the Ward 3 City Council seat, support the measure.
Councilor Kurt Wright, R-Ward 4 said at the council meeting in January that the vagueness of the ballot question could confuse voters.
“I predict this will get 80 percent approval, I just don’t know what that would mean except that people are concerned about housing,” Wright said.
ADVISORY BALLOT QUESTION RE: LOCAL OPTION TO FUND PERPETUALLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN BURLINGTON
“Shall we, the voters of the City of Burlington, in order to help the City’s nonprofit housing organizations build more affordable housing throughout the city, advise the City Council to identify and adopt progressive local option revenues, the proceeds of which shall be used exclusively to benefit the City’s Housing Trust Fund?”
Basing the F-35’s at Burlington Airport
Activists with the group Save Our Skies have asked voters to register support or disapproval of the F-35 warplanes that are set to arrive at Burlington International Airport.
Should the voters approve the measure, it would request that the Burlington City Council oppose the noisy jets, and request quieter aircraft.
The secretary of the Air Force has selected the Burlington Air National Guard Base for the F-35 basing, and the military is scheduled to begin replacing the current fleet of 18 F-16 aircraft with new F-35s as early as next year, according to the Guard.
City councilor Wright opposed the ballot question because it included “editorialized” language meant to elicit a “yes” vote.
Wright and other councilors tried to amend the language of the ballot item to strike the phrase:
“… as part of our strong support for the men and women of the Vermont National Guard, and especially their mission to ‘protect the citizens of Vermont…” from the question. The amendment was shot down largely due to legal concerns.
The Air National Guard recently explained to reporters how the base is preparing for the jets.
For more about the impact of the F-35 on residents of Chittenden County, the politics of the basing and how opponents have fought the fighter jets for five years, listen to VTDigger’s podcast and read the series “Rough Landing.”
Part 1: Community braces for the arrival of the F-35
Part 2: Problems have plagued the F-35 for 20 years
Part 3: Vermont officials steadfastly support the jet planes.
Part 4: The opposition grounded for five years
ADVISORY BALLOT QUESTION RE: VERMONT AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASING OF F-35’S AT BURLINGTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
“Shall we, the voters of the City of Burlington, as part of our strong support for the men and women of the Vermont National Guard, and especially their mission to ‘protect the citizens of Vermont,’ advise the City Council to:
1) request the cancellation of the planned basing of the F-35 at Burlington International Airport, and
2) request instead low-noise-level equipment with a proven high safety record appropriate for a densely populated area?”
Raising the tobacco age to 21
Approval of a resolution raising the legal age to purchase tobacco would put pressure on state lawmakers to take action.
Senators narrowly voted down a bill last year on a 16-13 vote that sought to bump the legal purchase age to 21. The age for legally buying tobacco is now 18. Sens. Tim Ashe, D/P-Chittenden, who is the Senate president, and Chris Pearson, P/D-Chittenden, both voted against it.
A bill,H.706, that would raise the legal smoking age to 21 is now in the Vermont House, but has not moved from the Human Services Committee since January.
“This will have a real, hopefully potential impact on how they view this in 2018,” said Councilor Chip Mason, D-Ward 5 during a December City Council meeting, where councilors voted to add the question to the Town Meeting Day Ballot.
“Tobacco is the No. 1 preventable cause of illness in the United States, and mortality,” said Dr. Prospero Gogo, a cardiologist at the University of Vermont Medical Center who spoke to councilors at the December meeting. Gogo added that the majority of people hospitalized because of heart attacks are smokers.
Councilor Sharon Bushor, I-Ward 1, questioned the legitimacy of allowing young people to go to war at age 18 and at the same time prohibiting their use of tobacco products.
ADVISORY BALLOT QUESTION RE: RAISING THE AGE OF SALE FOR TOBACCO PRODUCTS FROM 18 TO 21
“Shall the voters of Burlington advise the Governor and members of the Vermont General Assembly to support raising the age of sale for tobacco products in Vermont from 18 to 21 years of age?”
