[B]URLINGTON — It’s a classic “insider vs. outsiders” political campaign. And instead of running from those labels, the candidates are embracing them.
The race to represent the city’s Central District, which covers the Old North End, features longtime city councilor Jane Knodell running for re-election as an independent against Progressive Perri Freeman and Democrat Jared Carter.
Knodell has served on the council for a total of 19 years, but was upset by newcomer Perri Freeman at the Progressive Party caucus in a 85-55 vote.
Knodell is running as an independent touting her knowledge of how City Hall operates, and is framing herself as a practical progressive who gets things done. Freeman is a community organizer who says she would govern in an inclusive way, bringing more Old North End residents into city politics.
Carter, an attorney, said he believes Burlington has drifted from its reputation for advancing progressive policies, and says he would would work to reverse that trend.
Freeman’s win in the caucus, and the Progressives’ nomination of four candidates 30 years old and younger, started a conversation about a youth movement in Queen City politics and the Progressive Party.
Freeman, 27, moved to Burlington in early 2017 and has been working with groups like the Neighborhood Planning Assembly in the Old North End, Rights & Democracy, and the Vermont Workers’ Center. She also works as a caregiver.
She said as a councilor, she’d prioritize efforts to take urgent climate action and tackle Burlington’s affordability problem. While housing is an important piece of that conversation, Freeman said wage stagnation is another factor, which is often overlooked.
“We can absolutely raise the wage on a local level,” she said. “Seattle raised its wage to $15 an hour, and I absolutely think Burlington can take the lead on that issue as well.”
Freeman believes her work knocking on doors as a community organizer would prepare her well to serve on the council. She said she would prioritize community input in her decision-making, and work to make the council more accessible to all of the city’s residents.
“Being a community organizer means I’m on the ground in the community all the time,” she said. “I really believe in the philosophy of knocking every door.”
Knodell, 64, has been one of the most prominent Progressives in the city for decades. She’s an economics professor at the University of Vermont, and served as the university’s provost, the top academic position at the university.
She believes that her experience and proven ability to work across the aisle would make her the most effective representative for the Old North End.
“One city councilor can’t do much all by herself,” she said. “You have to be able to work well with others, and I think through my experience, I have a reputation as someone who does their homework.”
Knodell said she is proud of her work in the past two years helping the Janet S. Munt family room become a free-standing nonprofit and working on studying senior services in the city.
“There are these community-based organizations that serve vulnerable populations and the general population, and I see it as an important role as a councilor … to make sure that we can have them continue, but in a sustainable way,” she said.
Knodell said if re-elected, she would continue to work on inclusionary zoning reform, which she believes will bring more low- and moderate-income housing across the city, and identifying alternatives to the property tax to pay for city services.
The city’s political establishment has rallied around Knodell, and two of the three Progressives on the council — Brian Pine and Ali Dieng — have endorsed her. Max Tracy, the other Progressive on the council, supports Freeman. (In addition to the Progressive label, Dieng also runs under the Democratic banner.)
The election is expected to be close. In her last election, Knodell defeated grassroots activist Genese Grill by a mere 81 votes.
Carter, the Democrat, is the wild card in the race, and said he realizes he is the underdog heading into Town Meeting Day. He’s a professor at Vermont Law School and the director of the Vermont Community Law Center.
He’s running on a slogan of “Burlington leads,” focusing on his opposition to the sale of public assets such as Burlington Telecom. He’s also opposed to the formation of a new nonprofit to govern the proposed Downtown Improvement District, as the Church Street Marketplace is currently overseen by a city department.
The Old North End is a Progressive stronghold, and Knodell has significant support running as an independent. But Carter isn’t a typical Burlington Democrat, as his policy positions often don’t line up with Mayor Miro Weinberger and the rest of the council’s Democrats.
And he’s faced off with Weinberger and his administration in court on a handful of issues.
He represents homeless individuals suing the city over their property rights, represented Seven Days in a public records lawsuit over documents related to the sale of Burlington Telecom and was one of the citizen intervenors who asked the Public Utilities Commission to block the BT sale.
As a civil rights lawyer, Carter said he was willing to call balls and strikes against the Constitution, even if puts him in opposition to the mayor.
“I think my role on the city council would be to bring that voice to the Democratic caucus and to City Hall,” he said. “The Constitution is not partisan.”
Carter said his focus on the issues, specifically investing in the people of Burlington and public assets, makes him stand out from his opponents.
“I think when the people have the chance to look at the issues and square up the candidates, I am the one talking about the issues,” he said.
