Biography
I ha e lived in Barre City for 40 years and for the last 14 been a city Councilor and recently elected to the school board. I take representing my community seriously. As an elected official I am not elected to push my personal agenda but rather represent the wishes of my constituents. I have modeled that throughout my 14 years of public service and would continue that if elected to represent Barre City in Montpelier
Candidate occupation
Claims Examiner
Why are you running for office?
The legislature has become too extreme and are no longer working for the people that elected them. Items like the Clean Heat Standard, DMV fees, and the yield bill have made Vermont unaffordable. That is why I am running.
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?
No
Do you support a ban on flavored tobacco products?
No
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?
We need to increase our broadband access. We also need to lower regulations on small businesses.
What changes, if any, would you make to the way Vermont funds its schools?
We need to have the difficult conversation about true consolidation and regionalization. If we want to lower costs we need to change how we run things.
Is Vermont doing enough, too much or not enough to address climate change? Please explain.
Environmental policy and laws cannot be done on the backs of the people that cannot afford it. Making laws like no inspection for EVs is disgusting. People buying EVs can afford inspections and frankly those cars also can have bad breaks. That kind of legislation is not OK for average Vermonters. Not to mention the Clean Heat Standard which could cost thousands of dollars for people that just can’t afford it.
Is Vermont doing enough, too much or not enough to regulate gun ownership? Please explain.
It is doing too much. Barre City has hosted the gun show for years and recent legislation has put that show in danger. We need to understand that the right to bear arms in in the US constitution and the Vermont Constitution.
What would you do to help ease Vermont’s housing crisis?
I would support legislation that creates TIF districts and creative government programs for housing.
How would you address rising homelessness in Vermont?
We need to address the addiction and mental health issues to have an impact on homelessness
What would you do to increase access to health care services for Vermonters?
We need more providers in Vermont. We are one of the highest cost states for health insurance.
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 Boutin’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.
