Biography
I grew up in Vermont. I went to the University of Vermont and Georgetown Law School. I am a co-founder of PH International. I have served as General Counsel to the Vermont Ski Areas Association. I have been chair of the Hazen School Board. I am a member of the Greensboro Select Board, on the Board of the Vermont Wildlife Coalition and Chair of the Board of the Highland Center for the Arts.
Candidate occupation
Lawyer
Why are you running for office?
I am concerned that Vermont is becoming increasingly unaffordable for young families. We need to do more to address our housing deficit, to protect our rural elementary schools, and to give local school boards more meaningful roles in the budgeting process.
Issues in brief
Do you believe Vermonters are better off now than they were 10 years ago?
No
Do you believe Vermont needs a new education funding formula?
Yes
Do you support imposing new taxes on the wealthiest Vermonters?
No
Do you support the establishment of overdose prevention centers?
Yes
Do you support a ban on flavored tobacco products?
Yes
Do you support increasing penalties for property crimes such as shoplifting?
No
Do you believe Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election?
Yes
Issues in depth
What would you do to help grow Vermont’s economy?
I would do all I can to build stronger partnerships between tourism and our new emerging agricultural economy in the Northeast Kingdom. I would strive to make Vermont more affordable for young families with children to help attract and keep the talent our businesses need.
What changes, if any, would you make to the way Vermont funds its schools?
We need a funding formula school boards understand and can work with. Schools have become much more than educators today. They are social service agencies as well as educators. In some cases they are surrogate parents. It is unfair to put all of those costs on the back of the property tax and the education fund. Many of those services should be shifted to other funds.
Is Vermont doing enough, too much or not enough to address climate change? Please explain.
The State government is doing enough, but policies should be in place to help individuals and communities do more. For example we can do more with home weatherization and we can do more to help towns put more resilient infrastructure in place to be better prepared to cope with the increased extreme weather events of the future.
Is Vermont doing enough, too much or not enough to regulate gun ownership? Please explain.
We are doing enough.
What would you do to help ease Vermont’s housing crisis?
I would I would try to work with our Congressional delegation to create a new housing trust fund, allowing wealthy Vermonters to defer capital gains taxes while money is invested in the fund to help first time homebuyers acquire a home. In rental housing that is built with the help of tax dollars I would allow long term tenants with a record of timely payments to build equity as mortgages are paid down to help with the purchase of a home. I would also create incentives for communities to review zoning by laws and make them more hospitable to new housing, particularly in town centers.
How would you address rising homelessness in Vermont?
By using the mechanisms described above to create more housing and more types of housing.
What would you do to increase access to health care services for Vermonters?
I would create more incentives for doctors and nurses who are educated in Vermont to stay in Vermont and to provide more services through local health centers on a sliding scale based on the payees income.
Financial disclosure
Candidates for state and legislative offices are required to submit a financial disclosure when filing to run. These disclosures include each source, but not the amount, of personal income of each candidate, and of their spouse or domestic partner, that singly or jointly totals more than $5,000 for the previous 12 months. The information provided is an opportunity for voters to learn about candidates’ potential conflicts of interest.
You can find Kelley’s financial disclosure here.
Disclaimer
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