Rep. Chris Taylor, R-Milton, vice chair of the House Education Committee and an ally in Gov. Phil Scott’s education reform efforts, resigned from the House on Friday.
Taylor announced in a social media statement last week that he would be resigning effective March 27 to be “fully present” in his role as Milton town manager. He did not immediately respond to a voicemail seeking comment Wednesday, but said in his statement that his decision “comes with mixed emotions.”
“At its core, this decision is about my desire to be more available and fully present at the local level,” Taylor said in the statement. “The important work happening in Milton has a direct and immediate impact on our community, and I believe my time will be best spent working alongside our dedicated Town staff to move local projects and initiatives forward.”
Taylor has served as a representative for part of Milton and Georgia since 2022, and he was elected to the Milton Selectboard in 2017 before being appointed as town manager last year.
On the House Education Committee, Taylor has worked with fellow lawmakers to find consensus on a plan to consolidate Vermont’s school districts, part of larger efforts to reform the public education system under last year’s Act 73.
Those efforts, however, have dragged on, with lawmakers struggling to agree on a proposal. Committee members have since moved away from plans for mandated consolidation in favor of plans that emphasize voluntary district mergers.
Scott and Republican colleagues in the House and Senate have pushed for mandated consolidation.
On Wednesday, Gov. Phil Scott announced the appointment of Milton resident Kumulia Long to fill Taylor’s seat.
“Kumulia is a dedicated member of his community and has served on and chaired his local school board as well, which will be an important perspective as we move forward with education transformation,” Scott said in a press release. “I believe he’ll hit the ground running in this role and look forward to working with him in Montpelier.”
Long, a Milton School Board member, ran as a Republican for the Vermont Senate in 2020.
“I am honored to accept this appointment and would like to thank Governor Scott for the opportunity to continue serving my community,” Long said in a press release. “This is a responsibility I don’t take lightly, and I’m incredibly excited to get to work.”
