Biography
Jim Ryan is a proud Johnson State College graduate. He has been involved in public service his entire career in the Americorps program in watershed restoration, as a USDA employee assisting farmers in natural resource planning, and as an employee of the VT Agency of Natural Resources in watershed planning, assessment, restoration, and flood resilience. Jim worked as a deputy stream engineer for the state after Tropical Storm Irene and several other flood events impacting the state. Jim currently serves his community as volunteer for his town and various non-profit organizations. Jim serves his community as a mentor with the VT Coverts- Woodlands for Wildlife organization, on the steering committee for the Lamoille River Paddlers Trail, and chair of the Wolcott Wastewater Committee. Jim and his partner Katie are part-time farmers, selling grass-raised beef, greenhouse tomatoes, and blueberries raised by organic and regenerative practices. In his free time, Jim can be found paddling Vermont’s rivers and lakes, camping, open water swimming, cross country skiing, and hiking its mountains.
Candidate occupation
Retired state employee
Why are you running for office?
I am running for State Representative to better serve my community. For the last three decades I have been involved in public service both as an employee and volunteer. Being in the Legislature would enable me to serve my community and the entire state in a new capacity. There are many important issues impacting the state. I would like to see the Legislature be more proactive in dealing with the housing crisis, affordability, persons dealing with addiction and in recovery, high property taxes, flood resilience, and maintaining a vibrant working landscape.
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?
Yes
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?
Yes
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 believe fully supporting Vermont’s community and state colleges, workforce development programs, making housing more affordable by assisting new homeowners with home downpayments and low interest mortgages, lower property taxes, health care reform, high speed internet, small business grants and loans, and promoting businesses in weatherization, renewable energy, innovative new businesses, agro-tourism, and other programs to assist farm and forest related businesses.
What changes, if any, would you make to the way Vermont funds its schools?
I would like to see the school property tax to shift to more income based, higher property taxes on the very wealthy, look into the possibility of consolidation of supervisory unions, and caps on per student costs, while maintaining local control.
Is Vermont doing enough, too much or not enough to address climate change? Please explain.
The Renewable Energy Standard is heading Vermont in the right direction towards addressing one of the key climate change issues, energy usage, as long as it does not increase utility bills for low- and middle-income residents. Increasing electric and hybrid cars on the road through incentives and more charging stations across the state will reduce transportation-related emissions. Increasing home and business weatherization programs and increased heat-pump space heaters and hot water heaters can also help reduce carbon emissions. Properly sited renewable energy systems will be key. No sites should be located on undeveloped mountain tops, ecologically sensitive lands and productive agricultural and forest lands.
Is Vermont doing enough, too much or not enough to regulate gun ownership? Please explain.
The issue of gun-related suicide and domestic violence needs to be addressed more thoroughly. In some cases, guns should be removed from homes with persons that could potentially inflict harm to themselves or others, when there is proven mental illness, past history of crime, violence, and alcohol and drug use of the individual gun owners. We are reminded of what could happen when this is not done, as was the case recently in the mass shooting in Maine. Vermont should be more proactive in preventing potential school related shootings and other mass shooting incidents.
What would you do to help ease Vermont’s housing crisis?
Vermont’s motel program should only be a short-term solution. There could be an interim program that could offer housing, such as using the under-utilized state college dorms, while longer term programs are more fully developed. Longer term fixes include renovating underutilized or vacant older Vermont homes, incentivizing the conversion of short-term rentals to long-term rentals, low interest loans and down payment assistance for first time and low-income homebuyers, and incentives for building new low to moderately priced homes.
How would you address rising homelessness in Vermont?
My solutions were addressed in the previous question. I would add promoting more workforce development programs, mental health programs, and addiction recovery and transportation assistance programs that would allow many living with homelessness to be lifted up.
What would you do to increase access to health care services for Vermonters?
I would promote and increase funding for VT Health Connect and Doctor Dynasaur. Additionally, I would advocate for increasing the caps on Medicaid eligibility.
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 Ryan’s financial disclosure here.
Disclaimer
We emailed a questionnaire to every candidate with a valid email address. The responses provided by candidates are in their own words. VTDigger has not edited or fact-checked information provided.
If this is your candidacy and you’d like to fill out the questionnaire or report an error, please contact us at voterguide@vtdigger.org.
