Biography
PHIL POUECH was born in 1957, and grew up in Enfield CT. Phil’s young family moved to Hinesburg where they’ve lived for 40 years. All three children attended local public schools.
Phil has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science along with and numerous post-graduate certificates. His college academic focus was renewable energy, a rare study in the 1970’s. He worked over 40 years in all facets of manufacturing including engineering, environmental/pollution prevention, safety, quality, and management. For the last 18 years of his professional career, Phil worked for Vermont renewable energy companies. Phil was grateful to return to his renewable energy roots.
Phil has a long history of public service. While serving on the Conservation Committee, he began coordinating Hinesburg’s Green Up Day and has continued to do so for 25 years. Phil has been an active member of the United Church of Hinesburg, promoting their mission of building community and supporting families. After graduating from the Snelling Vermont Leadership Institute in 2011, Phil ran for and was elected to the Hinesburg Selectboard where he served for 12 years, including five as Chair. Phil is also a commissioner on the Green Mountain Transit Board. After retir
Candidate occupation
Retired
Why are you running for office?
I’ve had a fortunate life and now with retirement I want to give back to my local community.
Issues in brief
Do you believe Vermonters are better off now than they were 10 years ago?
No answer
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?
There are a number of steps we must address. Obviously, housing is key to supporting new families. The Legislature has a number of policies which will support new affordable housing. The recent Act 250 bill is a good example. We also must completely overhaul public school policies and funding. Again, the most recent yield bill includes a commission to do just that. We can’t continue to fully fund fully independent school districts without some overall controlling policies. We can make our tax policies more progressive to have those with the most means shoulder the tax burden for young families.
What changes, if any, would you make to the way Vermont funds its schools?
The 2024 Yield bill includes a commission to look at our educations policies (hundreds of independent districts each with administration and operations costs) which require state property tax to fund fully locally controlled budgets. We can see what other statewide funding options there might be. Property value is not a good measurement of ability to pay and while our homestead tax relief works for lower income families, the tax rate is just too high. The Legislature is only part time so we must have a Governor and Education Secretary who values public education and is willing to work toward these goals.
Is Vermont doing enough, too much or not enough to address climate change? Please explain.
I believe Vermont is doing a good job. We are addressing the key carbon emission sources (thermal heating, transportation and electric energy generation). While reducing emission is key, it must include policies that support lower income families to transition to lower emission community lifestyles. This will result in lower overall energy costs while improving health and quality of life.
Is Vermont doing enough, too much or not enough to regulate gun ownership? Please explain.
Gun policies should be addressed at the federal level. Our state can only pick at the edges and will not significantly address gun violence which is a true scourge for our country. I think the recent “safe storage” bill was a good state policy to ensure those who choose to own guns are responsible for there safe use at all times. I also believe there is no reason citizens should own assault military weapons. Again, this is a federal policy change.
What would you do to help ease Vermont’s housing crisis?
Many of the legislative polices put in place will go a long way to ease this crisis. The recent act 250 changes are a good example of proper common sense development policies. We must insure what is in place is fully funded.
How would you address rising homelessness in Vermont?
This falls back to support services including mental health, transportation, affordable housing, and substance abuse. Those public services must be properly funded. Putting money toward temporary housing does is not a fix. We must address to root causes.
What would you do to increase access to health care services for Vermonters?
Short of universal health care, the obvious solution, Vermont is making progress by finding opportunities to leverage federal funding which support a number of policies which bring move of our citizens into insured programs. We must continue to find, develop and fund those health care opportunities. Supporting local health centers also bring lower income citizens into health services.
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 Pouech’s financial disclosure here.
Disclaimer
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