This story by Corey McDonald was first published in The Citizen on Oct. 26.
Hinesburg is probing whether to back out of its membership with the Green Mountain Transit Authority, with several selectboard members questioning whether the financial arrangement is fair for the town.
Any decision on the matter would be months away. The town will likely not dedicate any time to the issue until after its fiscal year 2025 budget has been finalized. But it highlights growing concerns around the town’s arrangement with the transit authority as Hinesburg faces a tight budget and an expected tax increase of more than 7 percent next year.
“I am all for public transportation,” selectboard member Mike Loner said. “But I’m also very worried that we’re using Hinesburg taxpayers’ dollars for a benefit that is very limited to our use.”
Hinesburg this fiscal year paid $51,000 to the transit authority, a 4 percent increase over the prior year, according to Todd Odit, Hinesburg’s town manager. Three years ago, in 2021, the town paid $45,000.
Green Mountain Transit has lines that run through every one of Chittenden County’s towns and cities and has commuter lines that run to Montpelier and parts of Lamoille, Franklin and Grand Isle counties.
But the agency relies on funding from only eight municipalities in the county: Burlington, South Burlington, Hinesburg, Shelburne, Williston, Essex, Winooski and Milton.
Other towns pay minor contributions for service to their towns, like Jericho and Underhill, but the agency does not have the same power of assessment in those towns, so it’s a much lower level of local investment. These assessment fees range as high as $2 million for Burlington to Hinesburg’s $51,000.
Hinesburg has one commuter line that runs through town. The bus line runs from Burlington through Route 116 and stops at the Hinesburg Town Hall Park and Ride before circling back.
Procedurally, the selectboard would need to vote to withdraw from authority. If the vote passed, it would take a full fiscal year after notice was given before it went into effect. If, for example, the board voted to remove itself this year, it wouldn’t take effect until fiscal year 2026, beginning June in 2025.
“We should have done it last year,” selectboard member Dennis Place said.
The hope among other town selectboard members is that the state will formulate a new funding mechanism for public transportation in the state.
“We can do that dramatic thing of taking ourselves out of membership,” selectboard chair Merrily Lovell said, “but hopefully before we come to that decision, the Green Mountain Transit will come up with a different funding fee.”
Phil Pouech, Hinesburg’s state representative and former selectboard member, sits on the House Committee on Transportation. He told selectboard members that a study looking into how to improve funding for Vermont transit is set to come before the Legislature in January.
“Nothing will happen right away,” Pouech said. “But it’s the start of understanding the equitable way to fund it.”
There’s no certainty a new model will come about. The state has been looking into new funding models for decades, and efforts to lobby the Legislature for a more equitable distribution have come and gone.
Last year, the transit authority said it would begin initiating fares again after pausing that plan during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s just hard to imagine the Legislature could act,” selectboard member Maggie Gordon said.
These questions come up as the town faces financial pressure in its fiscal year 2025 budget. Hinesburg residents are expecting an at least 7 percent municipal tax rate increase amid a consecutive year of declining non-tax revenues.
The town is also facing pressure financing capital improvement projects. Plans to renovate both the town hall and fire department were put on hold after officials received bids for the town’s wastewater treatment facility project, state mandated work that would have cost well over $15 million.
Hinesburg has pegged much of its future revenue expectations on new development coming online. More than 400 units of housing are planned for the town’s village off Route 116.
“As you’re looking at the budget, looking at that line item and saying ‘What are we getting out of it? Why do we have this?’ That’s totally understandable,” Pouech said. “I would hope to come back at some point and talk about the benefits and, looking into the future, why it’s an important part of our town development.”
