Police said a man shot dead by police in Springfield last Thursday was accelerating toward officers in a vehicle when they opened fire.

Vermont State Police said the man killed, James Crary, 36, was a resident of Newport, New Hampshire. State police detectives are continuing to investigate the shooting.

According to a state police press release, Springfield Police Officer Vincent T. Franchi and Windsor County Sheriff’s Deputy Bryan Jalava both opened fire on Crary using department-issued firearms. The officers were standing outside their vehicles when Crary accelerated toward them, the release stated.

According to the release, Franchi and Jalava arrived at 78 Valley Street in Springfield around 9:30 p.m. Thursday as part of an investigation. They encountered Crary in a vehicle outside a home there.

Crary was pronounced dead on scene. State police then responded and began investigating the shooting, according to the release. Crary’s cause of death was determined by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to be gunshot wounds to the head, and his death is considered a homicide.

Franchi was hired by the Springfield Police Department as a full-time officer in August 2020 and worked in that role until March 2024. He returned to the department as a full-time officer in April 2025, according to state police.

Jalava began work as a full-time officer with the Windsor County Sheriff’s Department in May 2024 after beginning his career with the Hinsdale Police Department in New Hampshire in 2016, and later working for the Windham County Sheriff’s Department, according to state police. 

Both officers have been placed on paid leave while the investigation continues.

Vermont State Police said they were not involved in the investigation that brought Franchi and Jalava to the scene.

Vermont State Police said they will turn over the results of the investigation to the Vermont Attorney General’s Office and the appropriate state’s attorney’s office for review of the deadly use of force.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Officers who shot and killed man in Springfield identified.

Hello! My name is Theo Wells-Spackman, and I joined VTDigger in July to cover wealth, poverty and economic inequality in Vermont. My position is made possible by Report for America and by VTDigger members who donate to support our work. 

I grew up here, in New Haven and then Weybridge. I’m glad to be back — I recently graduated from Princeton University, where I studied English and journalism. Before arriving at VTDigger as a full-time reporter, I was an intern here, working with this incredible team of reporters and editors. 

In my first few weeks of conversations, I’ve heard a lot of people expressing concern and uncertainty about what Vermont’s future might hold, both for newcomers and those who have been here for generations. 

As I plan what stories to tackle, I want to hear from you: What questions do you have about wealth, poverty and economic inequality in Vermont? What feels urgent where you live? What’s confusing or under-explained?

Please submit your questions in the form below. Our team will review every submission as we plan coverage of this important topic. (We won’t publish your name or town without permission.)

What would you like to know about wealth, poverty, or economic inequality in Vermont? Share your questions and help shape Theo’s reporting!

Sharing contact information is optional. If you’d like us to follow up, check the box below and share your preferred contact. We will never publish your contact details.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Ask Theo: Your questions on economic inequality in Vermont.

This story was updated at 10:38 p.m.

Vermont Green Football Club’s magical season will continue next week in the USL League Two national championship after a 4-2 penalty kick shootout victory over Dothan United Sunday night.

Owen O’Malley netted the Green’s fourth goal in the shootout, punching the club’s ticket to the national championship next Saturday — and sending the sold-out crowd at the University of Vermont’s Virtue Field into a raucous celebration.

“I do it for the fans, man, you know?” O’Malley said. “I just love these guys so much.”

Goalkeeper Niklas Herceg made two dramatic saves in the shootout to help secure the win.

“The reaction (to me) saving the penalties was incredible. It gives you more energy to maybe save the next one again,” Herceg said.

The Green and Alabama-based Dothan battled through an evenly matched, scoreless 90 minutes in regulation. Vermont Green seemed to have the edge in the two 15-minute extra time halves. But despite a few chances, Vermont couldn’t find the back of the net.

“At the end of the day, we deserved to win,” said Vermont Green FC Head Coach Chris Taylor.

The 2025 season has been the club’s highest-achieving by far, with a 16-match undefeated record, a first-place finish in the northeast division, and an ongoing deep run into the playoffs. In 2024, the Green placed third in its division and won two playoff matches, but were ultimately knocked out by the nationally top-ranked Seacoast United of New Hampshire.

This year, the club will play for the national title — and for the growing fanbase in Vermont.

“These boys, they’re special,” Taylor said. “It’s a humbling experience, I would say, for me to see a community like this support our team.”

Theo Wells-Spackman contributed reporting for this story.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Vermont Green FC heads to the championship.

The death of a woman whose body was found on the side of a road in Woodbury on June 19 has been ruled a homicide, authorities said. 

Tina Daigle, 38, was assaulted and fatally strangled, according to a Monday afternoon brief from the Vermont State Police. The autopsy was conducted by the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington.

Daigle was born, raised and lived in Hardwick and had five children, according to an obituary. She was a nurse’s assistant in several facilities across the Northeast Kingdom and worked at the ReSource thrift store in Morrisville. She was also an amateur collector, and particularly enjoyed items related to “highland cows, native American culture and apples.”

Police are still investigating, and no suspect has been named.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Police say woman found on Woodbury road was strangled to death.

Updated at 8:28 p.m.

The City of Montpelier canceled festivities Thursday evening because of severe thunderstorms in the area. People are advised to safely clear the area and follow lightning safety and all traffic rules while leaving the city, according to a brief from Evelyn Prim, Montpelier’s communications director.

Just after 7 p.m., the National Weather Service in Burlington issued a “Severe Thunderstorm Warning” for seven counties, including: Southern Lamoille County, Northeastern Orange County, Caledonia County, Southern Orleans County, Southern Essex County,  East central Chittenden County and Washington County.

In Burlington, festival-goers along the waterfront were also advised to evacuate while the storm passed. Fireworks were still expected to go on as planned at 9:30 p.m., according to a tweet by ABC/FOX anchor Lauren Maloney.

The warning is in effect until 8:30 p.m.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Montpelier cancels July 3rd evening festivities due to inclement weather.

You might’ve noticed an addition to our website. We have officially launched a new housing section, featuring all of our coverage on the state’s housing shortage, impacts of repeated flooding, issues surrounding homelessness and more. 

The new Housing category rounds out our news topics to eight, joining Health, Environment, Government & Politics, Economy, Life & Culture, Education and Public Safety. 

These categories not only help you, the reader, navigate our site more easily, but also demonstrate what our reporting priorities are as a news organization. 

Since summer 2023, housing reporter Carly Berlin has been covering housing for VTDigger and Vermont Public through a Report for America partnership, focusing on issues such as:

• The impacts of repeated flooding on Vermont’s housing stock
• State leaders’ response to rising homelessness
• The experiences of unhoused Vermonters and other residents navigating the state’s housing market
• The wide-ranging economic impacts of Vermont’s severe lack of homes — and the efforts to boost the state’s housing supply
• All things housing-policy related at the Statehouse, from land use law to funding for affordable housing programs to tenant protections
• The impacts of federal changes to housing policy and funding on Vermonters

We’ve recently published pieces on a plan to overhaul the state’s response to homelessness and dissolve the motel voucher program, the need for wastewater infrastructure, the possibility of building new homes in factories and the results of recent changes to state land use rules. 

If you value VTDigger’s coverage of housing — one of the most urgent issues facing Vermont — please consider becoming a sustaining monthly member. Reader support makes it possible for Carly and our other reporters to investigate policy decisions, share the stories of those most affected and hold leaders accountable. Your one-time or monthly gift ensures this essential work continues.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Why we created a new housing section on VTDigger.org.

VTDigger has hired experienced journalist Liana Teixeira as deputy managing editor to help guide the newsroom’s award-winning coverage across Vermont.

Teixeira will join VTDigger on May 19 and work alongside Managing Editor Neal Goswami to help run the day-to-day operations of the 20-plus newsroom staff.  She has most recently worked as an editor and recruiter in Virginia. She has previously worked for Business Insider as assistant managing editor and held several newsroom leadership positions in Connecticut.

Teixeira will work with the newsroom leadership team to oversee three senior editors and more than a dozen reporters and interns while helping guide VTDigger’s daily news coverage as well as its investigative special reports.

Meanwhile, Austyn Gaffney has joined VTDigger and University of Vermont’s Center for Community News through a new reporting and instructing partnership. Gaffney recently completed a fellowship on The New York Times’ Climate Desk, where she’s covered record-breaking weather events, shrinking sea ice, wildfire risks and the accelerating impact of climate change on vulnerable communities.

At VTDigger, her reporting will focus on environmental science reporting. At UVM, she will mentor undergraduate students on environmental reporting through the Center for Community News program. This new position’s primary funding source is a generous gift by the Canaday Family Charitable Trust along with financial support from the University of Vermont, David Blittersdorf, Mathew Rubin and Kathryn Stearns.

Her first day was May 1.

“VTDigger is fortunate to welcome two extremely talented journalists to the staff at a time when deeply reported, accurate news matters more than ever. Liana and Austyn have the skills, talent and experience to help advance the newsroom as it enters an exciting new era under the leadership of incoming Editor-in-Chief Geeta Anand,” Goswami said.

Promotions

Lesli Hill Blount, who consulted on funding strategy starting in January, has been officially appointed as Chief Revenue Officer. Blount is leading the revenue team to grow funding for the newsroom by strengthening relationships with donors, members and business underwriters. She will work directly with businesses who support VTDigger’s work through our advertising program. Blount previously spent a dozen years as director of business sponsorships at Vermont Public and has held positions at KeyBank and the Greater Burlington YMCA.

Emma Cotton has been promoted to a senior editor at VTDigger. Cotton joined the organization in 2020 through a partnership with Report for America as VTDigger’s southwestern Vermont reporter. She most recently served as an environmental reporter. In her role, she will supervise several reporters, coordinate coverage, edit stories and contribute to newsroom leadership initiatives.

Habib Sabet, previously a night editor for VTDigger, has been promoted to business and general assignment reporter.

Teixeira and Cotton replace former Deputy Managing Editor Alicia Freese and former Senior Editor Diane Derby, respectively. Freese stepped back to pursue other opportunities and Derby retired in April after a long career in journalism and politics.

“Congratulations to the team members who have been promoted, and a warm welcome to the new faces in our newsroom. I’m deeply grateful to our entire team for their continued commitment to journalistic excellence,” VTDigger CEO Sky Barsch said. “And to our funders: Your support makes it possible to bring on professionals of this caliber. Thank you. Vermonters will be well-served by their talent and dedication.”

Read the story on VTDigger here: VTDigger makes key hires and promotions.

VTDigger announced Wednesday that Geeta Anand, a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, author and university dean, has been named the organization’s next editor-in-chief.

Anand has worked as a journalist for nearly 30 years as a foreign correspondent in India for The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, covered City Hall for the Boston Globe, and wrote “The Cure,” a book about a father’s fight to find a cure for his terminally sick children, which was adapted into the film, “Extraordinary Measures” starring Harrison Ford. Most recently, she served as dean of the University of California Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.

In the early 1990s, Anand covered southern Vermont and the City of Rutland for The Rutland Herald, where she uncovered across-the-board errors in Vermont by one of the nation’s biggest credit reporting companies, prompting Congress to pass a new law.

Eager to hone her investigative reporting skills, Anand eventually left the Herald for bigger news publications. But even as she did so, she promised her husband, Greg Kroitzsh, a Vermonter whose parents ran the Salt Ash Inn in Plymouth, that they would return one day in the future, when she hoped to bring all of her skills and experience to lead a news publication. 

“This job is really coming full circle for Greg and me,” Anand said. “It has always been our dream to come back to Vermont, and this job gives us the chance to do that in a way that is truly meaningful as a journalist and journalism leader.” 

In her role at VTDigger, Anand will lead the 20-plus VTDigger newsroom to excel in its mission to produce rigorous journalism that explains complex issues, promotes public accountability and fosters democratic and civic engagement.

“I look forward to working with VTDigger’s staff and board to develop a bold and ambitious vision for our newsroom’s future,” Anand said.

“We will together find a way to enable our newsroom to take on the biggest, boldest investigative projects while also continuing to cover the most important news in our state,” she said. “My first task will be mentoring and supporting our editorial staff in achieving these goals while also leading sustainable lives.”

“I will also relish supporting CEO Sky Barsch in raising the funds to make VTDigger’s journalism sustainable, and in continuing to create a supportive newsroom culture,” she continued. “It is fundamental to enabling our reporters and editors having the emotional resilience to produce courageous journalism over the long term.”

Barsch said Anand’s appointment marks a defining moment for Vermont journalism, one that will shape the future of independent news in the state.

“Geeta Anand is not only one of the most extraordinary journalists of our time, she’s also a visionary with a gift for inspiring and empowering those around her,” Barsch said. “The excitement we feel about her joining our team is matched only by the impact her leadership will have on the state of Vermont.”  

Gaye Symington, president of the Vermont Journalism Trust, VTDigger’s parent organization, highlighted the importance of VTDigger’s new editorial leadership.

“That a leader of Geeta’s caliber is eager to move across the country to lead VTDigger’s newsroom is a powerful testament to the quality of our journalism and its impact on Vermont,” Symington said.

Anand’s first day with VTDigger is July 1.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Geeta Anand named editor-in-chief of VTDigger.

VTDigger took home 13 journalism prizes Saturday at the 2025 New England Newspaper & Press Association conference in Portland, Maine, including five first-place finishes.

The nonprofit, independent digital news outlet received honors across a broad spectrum of categories in the 2024 New England Better Newspaper competition, including first place in the  “Climate Change or Weather Reporting” category for its collaborative, 10-part Downstream series. The series, which eight reporters contributed to, looked at what changed a year after catastrophic flooding devastated large parts of Vermont.

Reporters Carly Berlin and Habib Sabet, and former intern Babette Stolk won first place in the “General News” category for coverage of Vermont’s motel housing program. Judges found their March 2024 story about evictions from the program “clear, crisp and compelling.” 

Berlin also won first place in the “Excellence in Newsroom Collaboration and Partnerships” category for her housing coverage for VTDigger and Vermont Public. Berlin is a Report for America reporter shared by the two news outlets and reports on housing issues.

Erin Petenko, VTDigger’s data and Washington County reporter, was a first place winner in the “Best Infographic on Website” for her work charting historic rainfall in Vermont.

Former political reporter Sarah Mearhoff secured a first place finish in the “Local Personality Profile” category for her “Mojo the dog” story. The story, which profiled a K9 with the Vermont Attorney General’s Office that sniffed out evidence of child sex abuse, was “well-written and informative,” according to a judge. 

“The story not only tells the reader about the importance of Mojo’s job, but also lets the reader into his world,” the judge wrote.

VTDigger CEO Sky Barsch noted that the VTDigger team received more awards in the 2024 contest than any previous year. She said the awards demonstrate the newsroom’s commitment to high-quality journalism.

“These awards are a reflection of the hard work and heart our newsroom puts into every story,” Barsch said. “We’re proud to be recognized among such talented peers across New England. Our commitment to serving Vermonters with in-depth, independent journalism remains as strong as ever — and it’s an honor to see that work celebrated.”

Other VTDigger coverage to receive awards at the March 29 ceremony included:

• Spot News Story (second place) — Emma Cotton for her story about a woman who survived being swept away by floodwaters. 
• Racial, Ethnic or Gender Issue Coverage (second place) — Auditi Guha for her story about an immigrant restaurant owner shut out of recovery money following floods. 
• Outstanding Newsletter (second place) — Sarah Mearhoff and Shaun Robinson for the Final Reading Vermont Statehouse newsletter. 
• Spot News Photo (third place) — Glenn Russell for his shot of the aftermath of a January storm.
• Contemporary Issues Photo (third place) — Glenn Russell for his shot of an apartment building partially swept away by flooding.
•  Best Overall Website (third place) — Taylor Haynes for her work building and maintaining VTDigger.org.
• General Excellence (third place) — The staff of VTDigger for its collective journalistic work. 

NENPA represents more than 450 news organizations throughout New England. The 2024 awards competition included work published from August 2023 through July 2024. VTDigger generally competed in a division that includes news services and other online news sites but also won several awards in a combined class that included all entrants. 

“Earning 13 awards is no small feat, and it’s emblematic of the VTDigger newsroom’s commitment to excellence. It’s an honor to work alongside such a talented and dedicated team who continue to deliver incredible journalism day in and day out,” said Neal Goswami, VTDigger’s managing editor. 

Read the story on VTDigger here: VTDigger nets 13 awards at the New England Newspaper & Press Association’s annual conference.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for northern and central Vermont from 8 a.m. Sunday until Monday evening as rain and snowmelt funnel into area river basins.

Tyler Danzig, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Burlington, said Saturday that most of Vermont will see half-an-inch to an inch of rainfall Sunday morning into Monday afternoon during the flood watch period. Another inch to 2.5 inches of snowmelt is expected, with the most likely in southern Vermont, Danzig said.

As of Saturday morning, Danzig said the river forecast indicates three Vermont waterways are expected to reach minor flood stage: the Otter Creek in Rutland, the Missisquoi River in North Troy and the Mad River in Moretown.

The Winooski River in Waterbury is the only other river that is likely to reach an “action” level, Danzig said. “Action level” is below the official flood stage, but the water level is elevated so the weather service recommends local officials take action to mitigate flood risk.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Rain and snowmelt could cause flooding Sunday into Monday.

At VTDigger, our readers are at the center of everything we do. As the media landscape evolves, we’re committed to staying ahead of new technologies and delivery methods to ensure you get the news and information you need, the way you want it.

We want to hear how you’d like to receive our news, opinion pieces, photographs and other content. We will be sharing short surveys throughout the year with the goal of better understanding what’s working, troubleshooting what needs improvement and informing new, relevant ways to serve you, our readers.

Our first survey of 2025 is focused around our newsletters and products. We’re aiming to improve our newsletters and provide more value to your reader experience.  The survey has 9 questions and only takes 3 minutes to complete — plus you’ll have the chance to win a $100 gift card from Vermont Glove.

Whether you’re an avid or occasional VTDigger reader, your perspective will help our process. Fill out the survey below. 

A huge thank you to Vermont Glove for their partnership. 

Vermont Glove makes high performance work, ski and outdoor gloves that offer heavy-duty protection with extreme dexterity and durability. Hand-sewn in Randolph, Vermont. Learn more: vermontglove.com

Read the story on VTDigger here: Help shape the future of how we deliver the news.

VTDigger journalists are stationed throughout the state to cover this year’s Town Meeting Day. Find all of our 2025 Town Meeting Day stories below. This post will be updated through Wednesday, March 5.

Rutland City votes for incumbent Mayor Mike Doenges in decisive victory — After months of a contentious mayoral race in Rutland City, voters ultimately sided with the incumbent who promised to continue progress toward innovative development in the city. (March 4, 8:49 p.m.)

Voters elect Bennington Select Board members who hope to advance development projects — The election results will help set the board’s direction after months of acrimony among board members and some members of the public. (March 4, 8:46 p.m.)

Burlington voters approve water bonds, gun control and eviction measures by large margins — More than 80% of voters supported the water bonds and a measure to ban guns in establishments that sell alcohol. (March 4, 8:19 p.m.)

Democrats keep their majority on Burlington City Council — While the council will now have two new members, its political makeup remains unchanged. (March 4, 7:57 p.m.)

West Windsor rejects effort to repeal short-term rental rules — The ordinance, which will go into effect in May, requires short-term rental owners to apply for a town license each year in order to operate and pay fees ranging from $150 to $300 per bedroom. (March 4, 7:05 p.m.)

At Bridport Town Meeting, political debate remains polite — Days after Vermonters turned up in droves to protest JD Vance’s Sugarbush ski trip, participants of Town Meeting Day in nearby Bridport politely debated — and approved — all of the articles they voted on. (March 4, 5:13 p.m.)

PHOTOS: Vermont Town Meeting Day 2025 — VTDigger is capturing images from Town Meeting Day 2025 across the state. (March 4, 12:23 p.m.)

Vermont Town Meetings reveal the growing challenge of running a municipality — A rising number of the state’s 247 communities are voting to switch from harder-to-find elected laypeople to easier-to-hire appointed professionals — and, in several cases, asking to allow nonresidents to serve in local office. (March 4, 10:33 a.m.)

VTDigger’s 2025 Guide to Vermont Town Meeting voting — The state’s 247 municipalities are set to decide an estimated three-quarters of a billion dollars in annual local government and school spending, as well as capital projects, leaders, advisory articles and a few unusual extras. (March 3, 6:55 a.m.)

Read the story on VTDigger here: Read all of VTDigger’s 2025 Town Meeting Day coverage.

Have you ever considered writing for VTDigger’s opinion section? Can you think of anyone who should? Are you frustrated that you haven’t seen a certain point of view articulated or a certain subject tackled in our opinion pages?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, we want to hear from you. 

As VTDigger seeks to continue improving its opinion section, we’re hoping to identify new voices willing to share their views on issues facing Vermont. Here’s how you can help: Fill out this form to share your suggestions of topics to cover or writers to recruit. And if you’re interested in picking up a pen yourself, check out our submission guidelines and send your work to opinion@vtdigger.org.

Why are we making this ask now? Put simply, our research has confirmed what we already suspected: We’re hearing from — and publishing — those representing a narrow slice of Vermont. We want to make space for opinions from people of a variety of demographic, ideological and experiential backgrounds. In short, we want our pages to represent the breadth of Vermont. 

This effort builds on the work we’ve been doing over the past year to revamp our opinion section, with a goal of making it more structured, diverse, engaging and factual. Some of the changes have been small, like using imagery to make clear what is an opinion piece and what is not. Others have been more systemic, like scaling back on our publishing quantity to allow for more thorough fact-checking. 

Here are some of the bigger changes we’ve made:

We are concentrating on pieces that deal specifically with Vermont issues, or look at broader topics through a Vermont lens. That’s the focus of VTDigger’s news coverage, and we think it makes sense for it to be the focus of our opinion section, as well.

We’ve built new fact-checking systems for our opinion pieces. Though our writers will and should come to different conclusions, we must ensure that their arguments are based on a foundation of factual information. We’re now asking our writers to link to their source material so that we — and, more importantly, our readers — can understand and verify it. If a piece includes statistics, quotes or provable claims, we’re seeking to ensure that those are accurate. 

We are running fewer pieces. This is partly due to the enhanced fact-checking process and a more intensive editing process. But we’re also trying to take a more active role in selecting which pieces to feature. We’re not running everything that meets our guidelines. We’re instead trying to feature a range of pieces that are interesting, well-written, challenging, surprising and reflect a variety of viewpoints.

We’re trying to understand who we’re hearing from — and whose voices are missing. From time to time, we’re surveying our opinion writers with a series of demographic questions. The data we collect helps inform our efforts to broaden our pool of writers. 

We’re limiting the frequency of submissions and reducing the number of opinion categories. VTDigger has historically run letters-to-the-editor, commentaries and columns. While most opinion writers were limited to one published piece a month, a select group of columnists were published as often as every other week. We’re now phasing out the columnist category and holding everybody to the same standard of a maximum of one piece a month. We hope this will lead to a greater variety of views. 

We’ve simplified the submission process. If you have an opinion piece to submit, no matter the length or format, you should send it to opinion@vtdigger.org.

We know there’s much more we can do to improve our opinion section, and we hope you’ll share your thoughts on what we should prioritize. Drop us a line here or below — and keep reading and writing. 

Read the story on VTDigger here: VTDigger’s revamped opinion section is seeking new voices.

VTDigger has unveiled a new tool in its 2025 Legislative Guide. 

The nonprofit news organization previously reported on lawmakers’ work outside of politics, and how it could lead them into conflicts of interest, in its 2023 Full Disclosure series. Now, it’s gathering the same information for this session’s crop of state legislators and putting them into a new database for the public. 

The new tool includes state legislators’ 2025 ethics disclosures, which were filed at the beginning of the 2025 legislative session, and each person’s 2024 campaign disclosures, which were filed before the latest state elections. The two records contain slightly different pieces of information, each a snapshot of what occupations, volunteer roles and other involvements legislators hold outside of the Legislature.   

Use the search bar below to look for a particular legislator or browse through the pages with the arrow key. The table contains pdf links to each legislators’ disclosure forms, along with a link to their profile page on the legislative website to learn more about the individual. 

Senate:

House:

Not sure who represents you in the Legislature? We have a tool for that, too! Our Legislative Guide contains maps of the House and Senate districts so you can see who your legislators are. You can also follow VTDigger’s full legislative coverage here.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Want to know if your legislators have any conflicts of interest? We have a tool for that..

Gov. Phil Scott delivered his budget address on Tuesday, Jan. 28. The following transcript was provided by the governor’s office.

Mr. President, Madam Speaker, Members of the General Assembly, Honored Guests and fellow Vermonters:

In my inaugural address, I spoke about colleagues and neighbors whose accomplishments and service are there for us to learn from.

On Sunday, I had the honor of joining UVM President Prelock, the Mayor of Burlington, many faculty members past and present, and thousands – and I mean thousands – of Vermonters, young and old, to celebrate the UVM men’s soccer team and their National Championship.

I have to say, I was blown away by the turnout and enthusiasm. Jeff Schulman and Krista Balogh from the athletic department deserve all the credit. It was very well done. It was truly a wonderful moment of pride for UVM and our state, but most importantly for an exceptional group of players and their coaches.

You see, I’ve learned throughout my life – whether in work, politics or racing – that the team is always more important than the individual. There’s something special that comes from true team chemistry, which allows us to accomplish so much more than we could ever achieve alone.

Their coach, Rob Dow, spoke passionately about the team’s Three Pillars: Hard work, discipline, and dedication to one another – principles that brought them success.

I have spoken a lot about our desperate need for good role models and Rob has proven he’s one of them. At a time when many seem to have forgotten how to treat one another, we must strive to do better and remember our kids are watching and want to be just like us.

The way the team carried and conducted themselves has been inspiring. They’ve represented Vermont with class. In fact, in one week’s time, they made such an impression on James, their bus driver from North Carolina who carted them around for the tournament, that he took it upon himself to make the 17-hour drive up with his family to celebrate this weekend. That says a lot about the team – and James.

Hard work, discipline and dedication – another example for us to follow as we take on big challenges this session.

Patty, Rob, Jeff and Krista are here today. Please join this very proud alum in welcoming them.

The budget I present today follows through on my commitment to Vermonters to prioritize affordability and solutions to address demographics, like a 21st century education system and housing people can afford, while revitalizing cities, towns and villages in all parts of the state.

Taxpayers also made it clear they want us to fix broken systems not just fund them. So, I will forward four bills that address housing, public safety, education and affordability to improve in each of these areas. Focusing on these issues is critical to improving our demographics, which – alongside making Vermont more affordable – has to be at the center of everything we do.

This session won’t be easy because we’re expected to solve big problems. But if we stay focused and you put your community and the wellbeing of the entire state first, we will deliver the brighter future Vermonters asked for and deserve.

In total, across all funds, I’m proposing a $9 billion budget.

It doesn’t raise taxes or fees, and invests to grow our economy, make Vermont more affordable and protect the most vulnerable.

For those of you in your first term, I remember when I was in your seat listening to my first budget address given by Governor Howard Dean. There was so much government jargon, I said to myself, what’s he talking about? Base, one time, carry forwards, reversions, limited service, match, stabilization reserve, unfunded liabilities? I thought I understood a little bit about finances, but this was all new to me.

So let’s break it down a bit:

First, there’s one time vs. base. One time is exactly what it sounds like – money we only expect this year, so we can’t count on it in the future. We need base funds for that, which is ongoing revenue to pay for core operations.

And we have to be strategic when deciding between the two. For instance, we’ve got a lot of cash right now – about $1.6 billion, mostly due to the federal money that came our way after the pandemic. Now, don’t get too excited because all that money is dedicated to infrastructure. But in the meantime, it generates a lot of interest – about $60 million this year alone. That money, however, continues to go out the door. So, the revenue from interest will subside, meaning we can’t count on it forever. The same goes for our pension funds, which are also doing pretty well these days due to a healthy market.

But we can’t believe our own magic because, as I recently heard from someone in the finance world, “Don’t confuse a bull market with brilliance.”

Next, for emerging needs, we can make changes to last year’s budget in what’s called the BAA – the Budget Adjustment Act.

On our side, we’ve kept this proposal pretty lean and clean this year. The only item you might consider new is $10 million to give the Agency of Human Services (AHS) flexibility for urgent needs in the healthcare system.

We decided to transfer the remaining surplus revenue to make investments in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget, which I’ll talk about shortly.

Then there’s the capital bill, overseen by the Institutions committees. They consider investments we want to make for capital projects, like courthouses; state police barracks; state parks; water, sewer a stormwater utilities; as well as priorities like housing.

Think about this as an investment in tangible things that last a while because this is borrowed money that’s paid back over a long period of time.

This year, the debt affordability committee suggested we reduce borrowing. So, my bill proposes $100 million over two years.

Then we get to the big three.

There’s the Education Fund (Ed Fund), which this year totals $2.4 billion. And we’ll talk more about that in a bit.

Next is the Transportation Fund (T-Fund), which between state and federal money totals $858 million for things like roads, bridges, winter maintenance, public transit, rail, airports and much more.

Decades ago, the T-Fund was flush with cash, so lawmakers diverted revenue to prop up other parts of the budget, including what’s called the JTOC transfer. At one time, it moved over $45 million to the General Fund. But we’ve steadily worked that down to around $20 million.

The problem is, due to the sheer number of projects and escalating costs, the T-Fund now needs that money. So, let’s take a step toward making this fund whole by eliminating the JTOC transfer once and for all.

If you are keeping track, we started with about $9 billion.

$3.1 billion is federal money, which – other than the half-a-billion dollars for transportation – primarily supports Medicaid and other human service programs. So, we don’t have much control over that spending.

Of the $5.9 billion that comes from state funds, almost half goes to pre-K-12 education. Because on top of the Ed Fund, the General Fund pays $225 million for teachers’ pensions and other benefits. And $340 million goes to Transportation.

So, what’s left is about $2.9 billion… which has to cover everything else.

That brings me to the General Fund, where most of the action takes place.

Now, I know many of you saw the big revenue upgrade last week and think we’re in pretty good shape. But even with a strong economy, balancing this budget wasn’t easy.

Here’s why: Just to provide the exact same programs and services as last year, it costs us $133 million more this year. That’s due to increases in pensions, health benefits, human services and other pressures.

What this means is that 90% of the General Fund is used to just keep the lights on.

With all these obligations, the two-and-a-half billion we started with is now down to just $250 million. And while that’s a lot of money, it goes quickly because there were nearly half-a-billion dollars in new funding requests.

So, even with a surplus we can’t do everything we want. That’s why budgeting is typically about choosing between many good things. And we have to. Because at the end of the day, Vermonters were very clear: They expect us to separate our wants from our needs and live within their means.

That starts with housing, where it’s too hard and too expensive to buy, own or rent.

The data tells us we need over 7,000 units just to keep our head above water. With the lack of supply, it’s no surprise that a quarter of renters spend half their income on housing. Or that the median home price increased by 43% in just four years.

Now, for those who might not see the need or are not sure about having more neighbors, think about it this way:

More housing can help pay for schools without adding to your property tax. More housing for workers keeps employers in business and brings in more revenue. It gives families financial security that can improve health and public safety. And it can brighten neighborhoods and revitalize downtowns.

This is what we can achieve. Because it’s not just about units, it’s about community and opportunity.

We have learned a lot over the last several years, after investing hundreds of millions of dollars in this area. And my team has a plan to build on what’s worked and fix what hasn’t.

First, we’ll continue to be creative, finding ways to invest in more and better housing.

With hundreds of millions of dollars to the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB) in recent years, traditional affordable units are still coming online. And my budget fully funds VHCB with almost $37 million.

But these partners can’t solve this crisis on their own. So, let’s help more “mom and pop” investors build and restore homes with Infill Technical Assistance and our Homes for All toolkit. And let’s make our very successful Vermont Housing Improvement Program (VHIP) permanent with $4 million in base funding.

These VHIP units come online faster and at a fraction of the cost of other programs. They also lift people out of homelessness. Take the couple my team recently met in St. Johnsbury, who transitioned from the Shelter at Moose River to a VHIP unit downtown, where they’re back on their feet and within walking distance to their jobs.

That shelter, by the way, was stood up by VHCB and our Housing Opportunity Program (HOP), so we are giving that program [HOP] another $3.3 million, and $2 million more to AHS for emergency shelters.

But if we want to get ahead of this, we also need to keep people housed. And our Mobile Home Improvement and Repair (MHIR) program is making a big difference. So, let’s make it permanent with $2 million in base funding.

These initiatives, and many other ongoing programs in the budget, give families opportunities they may not otherwise have.

Take Renn and Cory Boudreau. They worked for years to afford a place to raise their 4-year-old daughter in the community where Renn grew up. With help from our Downpayment Assistance Program and a MHIR grant that covered the foundation and site work, their mortgage payment was reduced by half – making their dream of owning their own home a reality.

Next, we can do more to help restore homes and businesses in the heart of our communities.

Our Downtown and Village Center Tax Credits are extremely successful, and we consistently have more applicants than we can fund. So, let’s dedicate another $2 million, for a total of $5 million a year, to help turn around more of these town centers.

We’ve proven cleaning up brownfields helps achieve our housing, economic, and environmental goals. It’s a win for everyone, so let’s invest another $2 million.

And incentives matter. So, let’s make sure Bennington, Essex and Grand Isle counties get the same property tax incentive we gave every other county in last year’s land use bill.

Now, my budget also dedicates over $30 million – which is among the largest one-time allocations we’ll make – for what’s known as our “Hotel/Motel” program. But I want to be clear: This is funding, not fixing the problem.

It’s permanent solutions that will – and are – helping families across the state.

An important area to fix is infrastructure.

There are many projects, right now, with the financing and permits for hundreds of units but the cost of water, sewer and stormwater is holding them back.

To help, I propose a significant and strategic state investment.

My capital bill dedicates about $1 million each to close this gap for three projects: Barre’s Prospect Heights; the Bennington High School conversion; and Brattleboro’s Winston Prouty renovation. In total, this will support over 300 new homes and childcare for 100 kids. And with another $40 million in one-time funds, we can help more municipalities and create more workforce housing with this critical infrastructure.

This historic investment will make a huge difference, speeding up projects and lowering building costs all around the state.

Expanding the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program will add to this effort.

TIF is a valuable tool that bigger towns have used to take on major projects that jumpstart economic development. It allows municipalities to use a portion of the increase in tax revenue to pay for projects that ultimately add to the grand list and grow the local economy.

Some criticize the program because they claim the money collected from the property tax diverts money from education. But that math is short sighted. Because the reality is TIFs will add nearly $60 million to the Ed Fund.

See, I don’t believe the critics are taking into account the long-term benefits of this creative economic development tool. Without TIFs, downtown St. Albans, Winooski’s city center, Burlington’s waterfront and Milton’s economic hub, would not be what they are today.

But you will notice these projects are in bigger towns and cities in Northwest Vermont. So, let’s extend this option to smaller towns and on a smaller scale. Because they too deserve a chance for better infrastructure, better housing and more climate resilience.

Finally, we have to break down regulatory barriers in more parts of the state.

That includes adding commonsense standards for appeals, like those used in Massachusetts and the State of Washington.

Last year, we all agreed that Act 250 exemptions are a way to jumpstart housing. But too many towns were carved out. So, my bill expands and extends them, and adjusts the Tiers to make sure our smaller, rural towns are not once again left behind.

If this is truly a goal we all share, we must take more steps to legalize housing, so communities and families can thrive in all parts of our state.

We also need people to feel safe. Unfortunately, they don’t, and the data backs them up.

According to the Vermont Intelligence Center, 2024 was the third straight year with more than 20 homicide victims.

Between 2018 and 2023, aggravated assaults increased by 40%. Reported motor vehicles, identity and retail thefts have each more than doubled. And from 2022 to 2023 alone, reports of shoplifting increased by 40%. These crimes impact our communities. They hurt our retailers and downtowns. And customers, residents and visitors are staying away.

I believe one solution is more accountability.

Some of the laws we’ve passed, including some I signed, have removed consequences, especially for young adults.

For example, “Raise the Age.” If we do nothing, come April, those up to age 20 who break the law will be pushed into a system meant for children, which is not equipped to handle adults or hold them accountable. This law already covers those up to 19, and it is straining our social workers and our communities. So, let’s repeal it for 19-year-olds, and make changes to how we handle youthful offenders, so we don’t go any further down this precarious path.

We also need to make it easier to revoke bail, limit the ability to reduce or suspend sentences, seal criminal records instead of erasing them and provide more tools to hold repeat offenders accountable, including funding to expand last year’s pilot for pre-trial supervision.

We have all seen the headlines. There are far too many people with hundreds of law enforcement encounters, dozens of arrests and many active criminal court cases. Yet, they’re still walking free.

This wastes time and resources, adds to the court’s backlog, and erodes faith in law enforcement, the courts and us.

Enough is enough. Let’s fix it.

Many of these crimes, and those committing them, overlap with addiction and mental health issues.

By retooling existing services and programs, we can provide them with immediate and long-term treatment. To get started, we will invest nearly $1.5 million in state funds, which gets us another $1 million from the feds.

The Agency of Human Services will repurpose existing beds to help law enforcement with people impaired by drugs or alcohol.

We’ve been a leader in providing Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) in our corrections system. Because accountability and intervention can be what people need to turn their lives around. And we can give them even more tools for long-term success by adapting the St. Johnsbury Work Camp to offer more comprehensive treatment.

We can also fill gaps in recovery by creating beds specifically for those who have relapsed and want to get back on track, as well as a new 15-bed recovery campus.

By pairing this work with other programs, like drug treatment diversion, stronger conditions of release and pre-trial supervision, we can offer a clear path to lasting recovery.

And that is exactly what we need because reducing the size of the addicted population is the only way to truly turn the corner on both public health and public safety.

Since 2011, we’ve had 26 federal disaster declarations, which is double what we used to see. Climate resiliency is critical to adapting to this new reality. But we don’t have enough state dollars to buy our way out of it. So, we are working to get the most out of federal resources.

We’ve already gotten this going in places like Richmond, Lyndon and Hardwick using some of the $85 million in FEMA Hazard Mitigation grants plus $12.5 million from the State.

And we’ll get another $68 million in federal money to do even more, especially in Washington and Lamoille counties where most of it is required to go. After Irene, these funds helped places like Brattleboro and Waterbury replace housing, and in Wilmington and Johnson it helped repair and harden local businesses.

This combination of federal money will be used to buy out unsafe properties, shore up infrastructure, and reduce future flood risks along rivers and streams.

As we’ve seen in recent years, towns who need the most help have the hardest time getting it, which makes the “Two Vermonts” divide even worse.

With no full-time professional staff, town clerks and selectboards – many who have other jobs – have seen their workload double and their budgets explode following back-to-back floods. They simply can’t keep up. We’ve helped bridge this gap with our Municipal Technical Assistance Program. So, we will continue this support and fund dozens of other projects in small towns and villages with $3 million this year.

These same municipalities are at a disadvantage when it comes to buying out properties in the floodplain because when these homes and businesses get removed, local property tax revenue is lost. So, we’ll use $1 million as a temporary bridge to replace municipal revenue lost due to buy outs.

In 2023, and again last summer, we acted quickly to create a Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program (BEGAP). So far, we have helped nearly 700 businesses, farms and non-profits get back on their feet. But this demand is not going away. So, let’s work with the Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) to start a disaster recovery fund with $2 million in unspent BEGAP money.

Just like we did with pandemic recovery funds, we can once again turn major challenges into transformational change that creates more housing and strengthens disadvantaged communities – all without asking taxpayers for more.

We should take the same approach when it comes to addressing climate change.

Reducing emissions is a goal we share. Where we’ve often differed is how to get there. Because when people can’t afford it, we can’t achieve it. So, we need changes to the Global Warming Solutions Act.

First, we should follow the U.S. Climate Alliance when tracking our goals by accounting for net emissions, not gross. This matters because it acknowledges the role of our farms and forests.

If we want to protect Vermonters, we have to remove the provision that allows special interests to sue us, which, by the way, is already happening – and it will slow down progress.

And instead of working towards arbitrary deadlines we know we can’t meet; I will direct the Agency of Natural Resources to develop a practical plan that figures out what it will actually take to reach the 2050 goals and how much it will cost. This is what we did for clean water. And just like our clean water plan, we can do it without costing Vermonters more.

As our affordability crisis is making us rethink how we do things in education, housing and healthcare, we can do the same with climate.

Efficiency Vermont has been an important partner in helping businesses and residents reduce the use and cost of energy. Let’s capitalize on what they’ve built by expanding their mission to include climate action and directing $15 million from the energy efficiency surcharge to reduce climate pollution. With this strategy, we can lower the energy burden and continue our significant climate investments.

We will also propose changes to last year’s Renewable Energy Standard, taking a commonsense approach to reduce the cost for ratepayers.

And we should revisit the climate superfund bill because it is already costing taxpayers money as we defend the first of what could be many lawsuits.

This session, let’s focus on the fundamentals, pass climate policies with real solutions to achieve our goals, and worry less about making national headlines, and more about what Vermonters can do and afford.

On education, I want to start by thanking the Speaker and Pro Tem for joining my team at the table, and all of you for being willing to listen and consider our proposals for stronger schools, and stronger students.

I spent a lot of time in my Inaugural talking about the challenges and shortfalls in our current system. So, today I’ll keep it simple:

Our kids are not getting what they deserve from the $2.4 billion we spend. Neither are teachers or taxpayers.

The reason is an approach to financing that drives up costs and fuels inequity, along with a structure that’s far too big for a declining number of students.

But here’s the good news: We have the rare opportunity to increase quality and equity across all schools, pay teachers more, and rein in costs, so it is sustainable for taxpayers.

As you know, we are proposing a new approach to education funding.

This starts with setting a base amount that will be distributed equally for all students, so that kids in Sudbury get the same quality as kids in Stowe.

Here’s how we do that:

First, with our new, higher academic standards, we will calculate the cost to educate students.

Second, we will make sure all districts can provide things like early education, afterschool and summer programs, career and college training, and special courses like art, music and foreign language.

Third, we will make sure all teachers, regardless of where they teach, can earn a competitive salary.

Fourth, we will add to the base for those students and districts that have greater needs. Because today, not all of them are getting the extra support they should.

Importantly, by reinvesting savings we can achieve this without driving up costs.
Together, we have a lot of details to work out, including how new districts could raise additional funds, and how we fold in our independent schools, which are important to us, but this is only 3,500 kids out of 83,500, so we will figure this out.

Getting this formula right will benefit taxpayers and bring a high-quality education with more opportunities for all students from cradle to career.

Here’s the important part: For this to work we must right-size.

So, we have put forward a simpler model with only five districts and one schoolboard each. Parents and locals will continue to be involved through school advisory councils, where they can focus on the things that matter most to kids and communities instead of defending difficult budget choices year after year.

This change puts us much more in line with other states – many of which have better outcomes and most of which have lower costs.

With this larger scale, districts can be creative and flexible. In contrast, right now, when looking for savings, the only option is to cut. In some schools, cuts mean one less academic coach. In others, cuts mean an entire educational program.

This is not equal education. We can – and must – do better.

We know this transition won’t be easy, which is why the Agency of Education will be on the ground, helping districts along the way. And I’ve proposed $4 million to support them.

We will also take a phased-in approach, implementing this over four years. We will give administrators and school boards evidenced-based backstops for school and class size and graduation requirements. We will make changes so the impact on tax rates is easier to understand for taxpayers and for those who build these school budgets.

To ease the burden of some known expenses, I am proposing another $10 million to help those schools currently dealing with PCB contamination.

And my budget directs any additional surplus revenue that we could get in July, to a reserve fund to support this transition along the way.

The bottom line is: We are committed to seeing this through with the least amount of disruption for kids, teachers, schools and taxpayers.

Now, we know there will be something in this bill for just about everyone to dislike – maybe even hate.

There will be campaigns and protests from special interests. The “critics say” headlines will circulate in papers and online. Many community members who begged for cost savings will petition against some of this change. We know all that and more is headed our way.

But even so, I can tell you, I am ready to take this on. Because this is our moment.

If we seize this opportunity, we can offer a world class public education for every student no matter where they live; build a system that attracts more families; prepare students for valuable careers; contribute to a stronger workforce; and support stronger communities in all corners of our state.

That is what we can achieve this session. So, let’s be brave together and get it done.

If we fail to make meaningful changes, we will be right back where we started – with higher and higher costs every year.

We had a historic increase in education costs last year. And here we go again, because we are facing another average 6% increase in property tax bills.

That’s not going to work for anyone.

So, while we fix the education system, we can also use $77 million in General Fund to eliminate this year’s projected property tax increase.

But folks are hurting, so that’s not enough. We should provide some much-needed relief with a $13.5 million tax reduction package. Here’s what it includes:

As costs have gone up, those on a fixed income are hit the hardest, so we should increase eligibility for our social security income tax exemption.

To help low-income working adults keep more of their paycheck, we can expand the Earned Income Tax Credit for those without dependents.

We can cover more families with the Child Tax Credit by extending it up to age six.

And as I’ve done nearly every year, I propose eliminating the income tax on military pensions – bringing us in line with nearly every other state, attracting a valuable and important part of the workforce, and making sure those who serve our nation can afford to thrive and retire here too.

This session, we have an incredible opportunity – and a clear mandate – to fix the underlying structural issues that make Vermont unaffordable and make it harder to keep and attract the workers we need.

And this budget shows us what happens when we don’t.

Just think about this: About half of the $250 million we have at our discretion is being spent to fill gaps, not invested to get us ahead. $15 million – between the budget and BAA – to plug just some of the holes in healthcare. $30 million for roughly 1,100 hotel rooms (not services for people) because we don’t have enough housing. And $77 million to shield Vermonters from unsustainable growth in the cost of education.

This is what funding our challenges without fixing them looks like. But we can change that.

With this budget and commonsense reforms, we can help more folks – from all income levels – put and keep a permanent roof over their head. We can address climate change without punishing people. We can help families feel safe in their neighborhoods once again. We can let them keep more of what they earn. We can restore left-behind communities, giving them back the pride and opportunity they once felt.

And we can keep and attract the workforce and families we desperately need.

As I said three weeks ago, we can be the ones who finally tackle these challenges head on.

We can leave this place better than we found it, with a legacy that gives generations of kids, workers, families and communities the more affordable, stronger, and brighter future they deserve.

Read the story on VTDigger here: READ: Gov. Phil Scott’s full 2025 budget address.

VTDigger has launched its 2025 Vermont Legislative Guide to help you stay informed on the key players and policy proposals at the Statehouse this session. Our reporters, editors and photographers are following such topics as education finance reform, housing policy, climate change and more.

This year’s guide includes many tools, including some familiar favorites, as well as new additions. You can expect to find: 

• Our 2025 bill tracker: Watch key pieces of legislation as they are introduced and move through the Statehouse.

• A starter kit to the legislative session: We like to think of this as our “Legislature 101” course to help you brush up on everything you need to know to navigate the session. 

• We’ve added new pieces this year explaining how the state funds education and how the state budget process works. You can also learn how a bill becomes a law, how to read the legislative calendar, who’s in charge of the Legislature, how to watch the House and Senate and how to contact your legislators.

• Expanded legislator lookup tools: In addition to looking up your legislators via their district on our handy maps, we’ve also organized your senators and representatives by county. 

• Final Reading: Sign up for our free legislative newsletter, which gives you an inside look at the Statehouse and hits your inbox every Tuesday-Friday evening during the session. Don’t forget to catch up on previous editions here.

• All the latest legislative stories: Need to catch up on the recent happenings? Check out all the Statehouse news in one convenient place. 

Visit our full 2025 Vermont Legislative Guide here for the latest in state politics and policy.

Read the story on VTDigger here: VTDigger launches 2025 Legislative Guide with new education finance and budget explainers.

Follow along via ORCA Media’s livestream as Gov. Phil Scott delivers his budget address to the Vermont Legislature on Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 1 p.m. at the Statehouse in Montpelier. Follow along at VTDigger.org for updates.

Read the story on VTDigger here: WATCH: The governor delivers his annual budget address.

Vermont’s education funding system is notoriously complicated and totally unique.

Following years of rising property taxes — and a watershed 2024 election animated, in part, by a debate over how the state pays for its schools — lawmakers entered the 2025 legislative session poised to consider major changes. 

To understand where we’re going, it’s important to understand where we’ve been. Here’s how the system has worked in recent years:

Vermont pays for education on a statewide basis, meaning property taxes from across the state are pooled and then redistributed. As a result of the state’s complex funding system, budget decisions in individual communities impact tax rates across the state.

School district budgets are built by local school boards in consultation with district officials and voted on at the local level, often on Town Meeting Day in March. What voters approve is what the state will fund, and property tax rates are set at a per $100 of property value rate to pay for it. 

Roughly two-thirds of the entire state’s education budget is paid for with property taxes. The remainder is covered through the sales tax and portions of other taxes — such as rooms, meals, purchase and use — as well as state lottery proceeds and federal and state Medicaid money. 

Every year, the Legislature passes the “yield bill,” which helps set homestead, non-homestead, and income-sensitized property tax rates in order to fund the voter-approved budgets in each school district. 

Homestead property refers to primary residences. Non-homestead property includes everything else, from second homes and apartments to businesses and camps. The annual non-homestead tax rate is uniform statewide. Homestead property tax rates, however, are impacted by local school spending decisions. 

A resident’s homestead property tax rates go up and down based on how the school district’s per-pupil spending compares to a state average. Per-pupil spending is a technical term that, in short, refers to the amount of money spent by a school district divided by the number of students in the district. 

But not every student is counted equally. Like other states, Vermont uses student weights to adjust for those who are more expensive to teach, including English learners and economically disadvantaged students. Those students are weighted as more than one student in the calculation. 

A majority of homestead property tax payers receive some discount based on their income. These taxpayers are sometimes referred to as “income-sensitized,” and Vermont uses a property tax credit system to support income-sensitized taxpayers. 

Yet another layer of complexity is added when the so-called common level of appraisal, set annually for each town by the state Department of Taxes, is added to the equation. 

Historically, and currently, the common level of appraisal, expressed as a percentage, reflects the difference between a town’s appraised property values and what the department considers to be fair market value. For example, if the property in a town is found to be appraised on average at 85% of market value, the common level of appraisal would be 85%.

To come up with a property owner’s education property tax rate, the base rate — set by the Legislature only for non-homestead property, adjusted by school district per-pupil spending for homestead property — is divided by a town’s common level of appraisal. This can lead to towns within the same school district having very different property tax rates.

Starting in July 2025, the common level of appraisal is expected to work slightly differently, though the formula will not be any less complex. The percentage will reflect the difference between a town’s appraised property values and the statewide average appraised value as both compare to fair market value. For example, if statewide property values are at 95% of fair market value, the new appraisal level of the town above would be 85% divided by 95%, or 89%.

To learn more about Vermont’s unique methodology, check out these other resources:

Vermont Public explainer on school funding.

Vermont Agency of Education report on education finance.  

Legislative Joint Fiscal Office “Education Finance 101” documents.

Read the story on VTDigger here: How Vermont pays for its schools.

Vermont’s state government spends billions of dollars every year. So who decides where that money goes and how are such decisions reached? 

The short answer, according to the Vermont Constitution, is that the Legislature must sign off on government appropriations — typically, though not necessarily, with the input and approval of the governor. The executive branch is then charged with raising and spending the money necessary to keep the state running, and it has a certain amount of discretion to determine where that money goes. 

There is, of course, a longer answer. 

State budgeting is a complex endeavor involving many players, but it follows some predictable patterns from year to year. The first thing to know is that the state’s fiscal year begins July 1. That means the ultimate deadline to reach decisions on state spending is the end of June — but the process typically begins a full year earlier. 

Over the summer and fall, the various departments and agencies of state government begin to consider their spending needs — and wants — for the following fiscal year.

That process is typically overseen by the Department of Finance and Management, which often sets certain spending parameters within the executive branch. For example, the department may instruct commissioners and secretaries to increase their individual budgets by no more than 3% over the previous year’s budgets. 

Ultimately, all this work makes its way to the governor’s office — by no later than Nov. 15, according to statute. The governor makes the final call as to what budget recommendations to make to the Legislature early the next year. 

Governors often preview their big ideas during their inaugural address (in odd-numbered years) or their state-of-the-state address (in even-numbered years) in early January. Three weeks later, the governor delivers a formal and more detailed budget address to the Legislature and issues a full proposed budget in writing (and spreadsheets). 

That’s where it gets interesting. 

The Legislature has no obligation to do anything with the governor’s recommended budget. But in practice, it tends to use the document as a starting point for its own deliberations. 

The House Appropriations Committee takes up the budget first, meeting with executive branch officials about their priorities and hearing from lobbyists and members of the public about theirs. Just as the governor is supported in budgeting work by the Department of Finance and Management, the Legislature is supported by the Legislative Joint Fiscal Office, a nonpartisan office of fiscal experts. 

The budget — often referred to in the Statehouse as “the big bill” — then follows the same process as most legislation. It has to be approved by House Appropriations (generally before the end of March) and then a majority of the 150-member House. It can be amended at various points along the way. 

Then the budget heads over to the Senate, where the Senate Appropriations Committee meets with similar witnesses and typically tweaks the bill as it sees fit. Once that committee signs off (usually by mid-April), a majority of the 30-member Senate must approve.

Assuming that the versions of the budget passed by the House and Senate are different — and they almost always are — a committee of conference is appointed to hash out the differences. This panel is composed of three House members and three senators, typically including the chairs of the respective appropriations committees. They negotiate a compromise over the coming weeks and send it back to the House and Senate floor for up-or-down votes. This is often one of the last moves the Legislature makes before adjourning in May.

All this time, it should be noted, the Legislature is advancing parallel bills setting tax policy for the coming year. Needless to say, the money coming in the door has to match the money going out.

The budget then goes back to the governor. If he or she signs the bill or lets it become law without his or her signature, it takes effect July 1. If the governor vetoes the bill — which has happened about half a dozen times in state history, according to the joint fiscal office — the Legislature returns to Montpelier to respond. Lawmakers may choose to override the veto, which requires two-thirds votes in both chambers, or reach a compromise with the governor and send a new, more acceptable version back for signature. 

Even after the new budget takes effect, it can still be amended. The Vermont Emergency Board, which includes the governor and the chairs of the Legislature’s four taxing and spending “money committees” can meet outside of the legislative session to adopt new revenue estimates and make necessary changes to the budget. 

And when legislators reconvene in January, one of their first orders of business is to settle on what’s called the Budget Adjustment Act, essentially a mid-year update of the current budget. Sometimes the changes are minimal, reflecting unexpected costs or revenue. Sometimes more significant changes to programs are adopted halfway through the fiscal year. The Budget Adjustment Act follows the same legislative process as the Big Bill, but it often moves more swiftly. 

By the time one budget process is over, another has already begun. 

Read the story on VTDigger here: How Vermont’s state budget is written.

Paul Heintz, who has led VTDigger’s newsroom for the past four years, plans to leave the nonprofit digital news organization next month to return to reporting and writing. 

Heintz was named managing editor of VTDigger in December 2020 and was promoted to editor-in-chief in November 2022. In those roles, he has overseen close to two-dozen journalists at the state’s leading daily news organization. He led the newsroom through the latter years of the Covid-19 pandemic, multiple catastrophic flooding events, two historic election cycles and many investigations and special projects. 

During Heintz’s time at the helm, VTDigger has won dozens of regional and national journalism awards, including the Online News Association’s breaking news award for the news outlet’s coverage of the July 2023 floods and LION Publishers’ public service journalism award for its legislative “Full Disclosure” project.

“I’ve been tremendously fortunate to work alongside the most talented journalists in Vermont as they deliver on VTDigger’s mission of explaining complex issues, promoting public accountability and fostering civic engagement,” Heintz said. “Though I’m stepping back from this role, I’ll continue to be VTDigger’s biggest cheerleader as it reinvents the way we deliver — and pay for — the news and information Vermonters need to understand their state.”

Sky Barsch, VTDigger’s CEO, thanked Heintz for his service to VTDigger, particularly during a period of transition in its leadership. 

“Paul has given a lot to VTDigger as editor-in-chief, guiding the newsroom with dedication and a clear commitment to excellent journalism,” Barsch said. “While we’ll miss him as editor, we’re excited that he’ll continue to contribute his talents as a reporter and are looking forward to reading his work. Thank you, Paul, for your hard work and the important stories we published under your leadership.”

Gaye Symington, president of VTDigger’s board of trustees, said, “I have long admired Paul as a journalist. At Digger he works incredibly hard to make sure Digger provides high quality, fact-based news that informs and connects Vermonters.”

Prior to joining VTDigger, Heintz spent nine years at Seven Days newspaper, as a staff writer, columnist and political editor. He got his start in Vermont journalism reporting for the Brattleboro Reformer.

Heintz has been named the AP Sevellon Brown New England Journalist of the Year by the New England Society of News Editors and won the New England Newspaper & Press Association’s Morley L. Piper First Amendment Award for his successful advocacy for Vermont’s first media shield law. 

Heintz plans to pursue reporting opportunities covering northern New England. He also plans to work part-time for the University of Vermont’s Center for Community News, contributing to its efforts to support journalism in Vermont and throughout the country. Heintz will conclude his work at VTDigger in February.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Editor-in-chief Paul Heintz to leave VTDigger in February.

Vermont’s nonprofit digital news organization has made key hires in recent months and promoted talented staff into new roles. 

The newly filled positions stretch across VTDigger’s newsroom and its revenue and operations department, including key roles such as chief revenue officer, audience and product director, night editor and southern Vermont reporter.

“These hires and promotions are an investment in VTDigger’s mission to provide in-depth, trustworthy journalism for Vermonters,” said Sky Barsch, VTDigger’s CEO. “We’re excited to welcome new talent to the team while also recognizing and promoting the hard work and dedication of our longtime staff.”

The recent hires and promotions include:

Yardain Amron, night editor — Amron spent eight years as a freelance reporter, audio producer, magazine editor and editorial strategist before joining VTDigger in September as night editor. He earned a master’s degree in geography at the University of British Columbia and most recently served as an instructor at the School of the New York Times.  

Lesli Blount, interim chief revenue officer — A nonprofit leadership adviser and philanthropy consultant, Blount is consulting with VTDigger to strengthen its relationships with donors, members and business underwriters. Blount previously spent a dozen years as director of business sponsorships at Vermont Public, and has also held positions at KeyBank and the Greater Burlington YMCA.

Greg Bonica, staff accountant — Bonica, who most recently worked for BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont, joined VTDigger in January as a staff accountant. He has close to a decade’s worth of experience in accounting, finance and operations. 

Peter D’Auria, health care and government accountability reporter — Since joining VTDigger in October 2021, D’Auria has served as a key member of the news organization’s policy team, first covering education and then health care and human services. In January, he became VTDigger’s health care and government accountability reporter, a role that will allow him to put his investigative reporting skills to work across state government.  

Taylor Haynes, audience and product director — Haynes joined VTDigger as its first creative director in April 2021 and has since led the charge on major rebranding and website redesign projects. In December, she was named audience and product director, a role focused on expanding and diversifying VTDigger’s readership, growing newsletter subscriptions and increasing revenue to fund its journalism. 

Greta Solsaa, southern Vermont reporter — Solsaa, who grew up in Rutland, returned to her hometown in November to cover southern Vermont for VTDigger, focusing on Rutland County and Bennington County.  She previously worked as an outreach coordinator and research writer for the University of Vermont’s Center for Community News and as a freelance reporter. 

Ethan Weinstein, state government and politics reporter — Weinstein first joined VTDigger as an intern in January 2022 and became a staff reporter that May, covering southern Vermont and, later, the state correctional system. Weinstein spent the last year covering education and corrections. He now joins Shaun Robinson as one of VTDigger’s two state government and politics reporters, keeping close tabs on Vermont’s legislative and executive branches. 

VTDigger is currently hiring a business and general assignment reporter.

Read the story on VTDigger here: VTDigger makes key hires, promotes existing staff.

Gov. Phil Scott delivered his 2025 inaugural address from Montpelier on Thursday, Jan. 9. The transcript below was provided by the governor’s office.

Mr. President, Madam Speaker, Mr. Chief Justice, Members of the General Assembly, Honored Guests, and fellow Vermonters.

I’m honored to have earned the trust and support of voters to serve, once again, as Governor. And it’s great to have former Governors Shumlin, Kunin, and Douglas with us today.

I want to thank my wife Diana, my daughters, Erica and Rachael, my mom, and my family and friends for their continued understanding of the day-to-day challenges and demands of this job. And that goes for your families as well. Public service is rewarding, but consuming, with a lot of time spent away from home.

This session, when our work gets difficult and the days grow longer, which they will, let’s remember the hundreds of men and women in our National Guard who are away from their families and far from home. A large number of them were deployed this past week. In fact, last night I met with a group that was leaving and assured them we would do our best to take care of their families while they focused on their mission.

We are joined today by General Knight and other members of the Guard. So, I’d like to ask them and anyone here who has served in the military to rise and be recognized.

I also want to acknowledge former legislators we have lost over the last year, who I served with over my 24 years in this building: Bill Keogh, Curt McCormack, Dick Sears, Don Turner, and of course, there was my former seatmate, Bill Doyle, and my dear friend and mentor, Dick Mazza – all respected, and greatly missed.

Between Senators Doyle and Mazza, they served 90 years in the legislature. One a Republican, the other a Democrat.

But they had something in common that had nothing to do with power or the influence earned in the hallways of the statehouse. They were both successful because their constituents back home trusted them. Trusted them to do the right thing and not fall into the trap of “red vs. blue.” Trusted them to put the people they represented first.

See, they understood from the start that their job was to bring the perspective of their communities to the statehouse – not the other way around.

They knew it wasn’t the legislators in this building who elected and re-elected them over those 90 years. So they worked for their constituents, their neighbors, and the folks who turned to them for help.

When you think about it, that’s really what being a legislator is all about. That’s the job.

Listening to your constituents and being a voice for those back home is essential. Especially for those of you from cities, towns and villages that feel left behind and want a seat at the table.

There’s no doubt many communities, businesses, and families are struggling. But it’s not hard to see that Northwest Vermont is doing BETTER than all the others. It’s not to say this region doesn’t have challenges, but, for the most part, it’s where you see a lower percentage of kids in poverty, lower energy costs, higher median incomes, higher home values, and more new housing being built. And while we’re desperate for workers across the state, the size of the workforce in Chittenden and Franklin counties is the highest it’s been in recent history.

But as the rest of the state struggles to catch up, they carry the same burden of increasing taxes and fees and navigate the same complicated mandates and regulations.

And regardless of how well intentioned these policies are, they’re expensive and require resources that places like Burlington, Shelburne and Williston may have, but small towns like Chelsea, Lunenburg, Peacham, Plainfield – and even Rutland, Newport and Brattleboro – do not. Too many bills are passed without considering the impact on these communities.

Let me read a vote explanation from former Essex-Caledonia Representative Terri Lynn Williams, which she gave last year, in tears. She said, “Don’t come up to me today and ask me how I am. The answer is I’m sick, and I’m afraid, and I’m defeated, and angry, and sad. There you have it. Don’t ask. Because you have no idea, or don’t care, what you’re doing to my county, and the other 70% of Vermont.”

Now, you may not agree with what she said, but we can’t ignore how she feels. And she’s not alone.

Two years ago, I shared the story of a somewhat angry guy from Essex County, who confronted me while I was in the Northeast Kingdom, saying, we’re crushing him. And that “Montpelier” couldn’t care less about what they did to folks like him, in places like Island Pond.

Many of you go back home, and face constituents with these same concerns and challenges. Where your workforce and student enrollment has been declining for years. Where your selectboard doesn’t have the time or resources to apply for complicated grants. Where your schoolboard is struggling, and your community needs jobs and a better economy.

So, if any of this resonates with you, here’s something to think about: There are 17 Senators and 83 House members who represent these left-behind communities. Which means if you ignore party labels, you actually have the majority here.

So let’s work together to pass bills that fix the problems that matter most to your constituents and set aside the ones that don’t. Let’s put our communities above all else and reset the playing field so it’s fair and benefits all of Vermont.

Now, let me ask you to think about a time when you’re hunting, mountain biking, driving, or on a hike and you’ve gotten turned around. You somehow got off the trail, took a wrong turn, it starts to get dark, and it hits you: “I went the wrong way.”

When that happens to me, I stop, get my bearings and get back on course.

But when it comes to politics, I know it can be hard to admit when you’ve gone down the wrong path and need to turn around. But we’re not here to worry about egos. We’re here to do what Vermonters need. And they just sent a very clear message: They think we’re off course.

For my first six years as governor, we built budgets that funded our needs, made new investments, and stabilized the State’s finances – all without asking Vermonters for more. This commonsense approach led to historic surpluses so we could invest in the initiatives we care about without raising taxes. It wasn’t always easy, but in the end, we were able to come to an agreement.

But last biennium things changed, and the Legislature didn’t have to compromise. So they built and passed budgets that met their wants, and then raised taxes and fees as necessary to pay for them.

In response, Vermonters told us – loudly and clearly – they expect us to get back on course; to spend within THEIR means; and above all else, make Vermont more affordable for them.

Now, you don’t have to take my word for it. Just listen to Travis, a Harwood alum and Moretown resident, who rushed from work to a public meeting so he could tell whoever would listen, “I don’t live here. I survive here.”

He’s had enough. His taxes and his homeowners’ insurance have doubled. His hands, at that very moment, were bleeding from the 14-hour day he just worked – a schedule that’s crushing him.

He said, “I’m sick of all this ridiculous spending and the cost of everything doubling every year. I can’t handle it anymore. I’m 46. I don’t know if I’m going to see anything older than that here in Vermont.” Now remember his age because I’ll come back to it.

He ended his comments with a simple message: “It’s too expensive. Straighten it out. Figure it out. And come up with a better system. Because the taxpayers are sick of it.”

And that, I believe, gets to the heart of the issue. Because he didn’t say slash and burn the budget. He said, do it better.

In so many areas, I share your goals. Where we often disagree is how we get there and at what pace.

As I’ve said before, just throwing more money at problems hasn’t equaled success. Not in education, state colleges, housing, homelessness, and other areas where we’ve funded, but haven’t fixed the underlying structural issues. Without fixing the holes we’re in, they just keep getting bigger. And the hard- earned money of taxpayers like Travis, is squandered.

So this year, I’m asking you to join me; to LISTEN to those who sent us here; think about what they can afford and what they need; and give everyone the chance to not just survive, but to thrive.

There’s no doubt the root cause of our challenges is demographics – especially the size of our working class and number of students, which has been shrinking for decades.

I know some look at recent data showing a population increase and think we’ve solved the problem. And while it is good news, looking at total population doesn’t tell the whole story.

What does are the numbers 14, 28, and 48: According to the Joint Fiscal Office, from 2010 to 2022 alone, we saw 14,000 fewer Vermonters under the age of 18; 28,000 fewer age 40-54 (which is prime working age – Travis’s age) and 48,000 more over the age 65.

And here’s why this matters:

Because it means fewer kids in our schools while we’re still paying for the system built for tens of thousands more students. It leads to fewer high school graduates, which means less enrolling in our state colleges or replacing retirees in the workforce.

It means fewer in the trades to build the infrastructure and housing we need. Fewer to work at childcare centers and healthcare offices. Fewer volunteering for your local fire department. Fewer joining your police force. Fewer teachers and bus drivers. And fewer to take care of loved ones in our long-term care facilities.

It also means fewer workers generating state revenue, and NO ONE to fill the jobs employers need to survive or grow.

All of it means less revenue for services to support the 48,000 more seniors we have, and less to fund a safety net for the most vulnerable.

With fewer to pay for the growing burden of taxes and fees, education, utilities, and healthcare, Vermont becomes less and less affordable for those still here. And as competition for a limited workforce pushes wages up, everything gets more expensive.

Meanwhile, it gets harder to attract the people we need because our reputation as one of the highest taxed and most expensive states isn’t exactly a great marketing strategy.

It’s clear: You cannot separate affordability and demographics, so both need to be at the center of all we do.

As I say all the time, we need more taxpayers, not more taxes.

Housing is a great place to start.

We know mortgages and rent are unaffordable for many. This cost, and a shortage of units, drives people out of Vermont and prevents families and workers from moving here.

To me, the issue is obvious, and its solution relies on a basic economic principle: Supply and Demand.

According to the Housing Needs Assessment, it will take 7,200 homes just to break even. And if we want to grow the workforce beyond what we have today, we need over 8,000 homes a year for the next five years. But our current rate is about 2,300. Now, that’s an improvement over the 1,600 a year we saw over the previous decade. But it’s nowhere near enough.

So this session, it’s crucial we pass an actual housing bill, focused on four strategies:
First, let’s strengthen our foundation with infrastructure for housing and flood recovery – not just with

funding but with a creative expansion of our successful Tax Increment Finance (TIF) program.

Second, we can give a helping hand to neglected communities by continuing to transform dilapidated houses into homes and economic opportunity.

Third, we need more people investing in, and revitalizing, working-class neighborhoods. So let’s continue to grow creative programs like the Vermont Housing Improvement Program (VHIP) and help more “mom and pop” investors be part of the solution.

And fourth, if this is truly the crisis we all know it is, let’s treat it like one. In order to make real progress, we must address our appeals process, which has been abused for far too long. And we have a lot more work to do on last year’s land use bill, like expanding the ACT 250 exemptions currently provided to a select few, and giving rural communities a seat at the table, so they too have an opportunity to thrive and grow. As one national housing expert recently put it, it’s long past time to legalize housing.

More housing plays an important role for another key challenge: Education

As you know, last year, property tax bills went up 14% on average – and as high as 38%. And if this year’s projected rate goes into effect, education property taxes will have increased 33%, on average, in just three years.

And that’s only property taxes, which, for good reason, have received a lot of attention. But what’s not as obvious is all that’s been added to the ed fund from other sources:

100% of our Sales and Use tax – about $600 million a year – goes into the Ed Fund. So does a third of our Purchase & Use tax, and a quarter of our Rooms & Meals tax, as well as 100% of the new short-term rental surcharge and all lottery proceeds.

And at times, we’ve bought down rates with general fund money that could have gone to housing, human services, climate mitigation, public safety and so much more.

So when we tell ourselves we pay for education with property taxes, that’s not the whole story. Because over a third – $800 million – comes from other sources.

Since I took office, the Education Fund has gone from $1.6 billion to an astounding $2.3 billion and climbing. We’re one of the top education spenders in the nation. Yet in too many districts, teachers aren’t paid enough, administrators are tied up in bureaucracy, schools have too much empty space and many are in disrepair, and most importantly, our kids are not seeing the best outcomes.

With what we’re spending, we should not be in the middle of the pack on any educational scorecard, but we are. And our kids should all be at grade level in reading and math. But in some grades, less than half hit that mark.

While educators, administrators, parents and kids are doing their very best to make things work, the statewide system is broken and failing them.

So what’s causing the problem?
First, it’s the way we pay for it (the “funding formula”).

Forty-eight states set the amount they will spend on education each year. Vermont does not. Here, every school budget is set by school boards, and if local voters pass it, the State is required to pay it – no matter how much it costs.

Then the state sets the property tax rate, using the Common Level of Appraisal (CLA), grand list, pupil weights, and a bunch of other complicated stuff that few understand. And this is typically done weeks after budgets pass and months after they’re built. So when school boards and voters make their decisions, few know the impact on their property taxes.

We know there are some communities whose taxpayers can’t afford to pay more. So, they keep their spending low in hopes of smaller tax increases. But too often, the communities that have more, can afford more, so they spend more. And those higher spenders can actually increase the rates of those districts whose kids and teachers are getting less.

Next, we need to take a hard look at how we govern and administer education.

Put simply, we have a lot of buildings, classrooms, adults, and layers of bureaucracy but fewer and fewer kids and taxpayers.

Today, we have 83,500 Pre-K–12 students paid for by the Ed Fund. For the 80,000 who are in public schools, we have 52 supervisory unions, 119 districts and 287 individual schools.

We also have among the very smallest class sizes and schools in the nation, and the very lowest student to teacher and student to staff ratios. Some may think this is a good thing. But the evidence shows that many high performing schools throughout the country are larger with bigger classes and higher ratios.

The bottom line is our system is out of scale and very expensive. And as obvious as these challenges are, we haven’t been able to fix it.

Efforts like Act 68, Act 46 and Act 127 have fallen short because they tried to tinker with an existing structure that simply doesn’t work.

So let’s have the courage to fix the entire system to make it work better for all kids and give them more opportunities from Cradle to Career.

With my budget in two weeks, we’ll share our full proposal to improve the quality, equity and sustainability of the Pre-K–12 system in Vermont. With those three principles – and the mandate voters gave us in November – we’ll propose a multi-year plan to transform education.

First, it will include an entirely new student-centered funding formula to provide more and better opportunities for kids and get costs under control.

Second, we’ll propose a new, simpler governance structure, so we can deliver a better and more equal education across communities.

Third, we’ll provide school boards and administrators with support and guardrails to reduce cost pressures.

Finally, we know Vermonters can’t afford to pay more. So, if school boards contain spending growth to the projected level, my budget will lower the impact of this year’s increase with a goal to eliminate it.

Now, I’m not going to sugarcoat it. None of this will be easy.

And I’m sure we’ll hear some of the same hesitations and concerns of the past. Here are a few: “We need some schools to consolidate or close, but not our school. We need lower costs, but we won’t share our teacher or principal. We need efficiency, but we want our own school board. We need pay equity, but we want our own employee contract. We need the State’s help, but don’t mess with local control.”

But all these concerns are more about adults than students. And failing to fix this problem is failing our kids.

So let’s be bold. Let’s be the ones who make the difficult decisions to move towards the real, transformative change the system needs and our kids deserve.

For years I’ve said, if I gave you $2.3 billion to educate 83,500 students, it would look far different than what we have today.

This session we have the rare opportunity to not only make our system more affordable for taxpayers but to improve the quality of education for all kids – no matter their challenges or where they live. And we owe it to everyone to seize the moment and be brave, together.

There are no silver bullets, no simple solutions, to any of this.

But in a state with so many crises – from demographics and workforce to public safety and disaster resiliency to affordability of government, healthcare, education and the cost of living and doing business – we need to start somewhere.

I believe prioritizing housing and education – in a way that makes Vermont more affordable, not LESS – is how we make the biggest gains.

In the coming weeks, we’ll talk about how to stabilize our healthcare system; and share proposals to improve public safety, strengthen communities, and support climate policy that’s achievable and affordable.

So we’ll be juggling a lot of issues, but it’s more important than ever to prioritize and stay focused on the fundamentals that matter most to Vermonters.

In a few short months, I’ll be standing right here again as we adjourn the first half of the biennium. Those of you who have been around a while know our time together will be gone in a flash.

So, on that day, what is it, you want to have done for your community? What priorities of theirs will you have addressed?

I can promise you, my efforts, my focus – and those of my entire administration – will be squarely on solving the problems Vermonters sent me, and all of you, here to solve: Creating a high quality, equitable and sustainable education system; pushing for regulatory changes to legalize housing; and making sure – whatever we do – we keep affordability for everyone our TOP priority.

Vermonters asked us, very clearly, to separate our wants from our needs and to FIX – not just FUND – issues that have a major impact on their lives.

I know this is your process. And I know what’s taken up this session – and whether we make progress on these issues or not – is in your hands.

So, I’m asking each of you to think about what Vermonters will say about our work at the end of the session; to use the time between now and adjournment wisely; to prioritize the issues and perspectives of your constituents; and make sure the concerns of your communities are heard.

The good news is, we’ve shown what state government can do to solve problems and help people.

We saw it during the pandemic, and I often think back to what it took to build that response. Long days, nights and weekends that spanned months and then years. But even with all the uncertainty, with all the loss, the hardship, difficult decisions and tough calls – we got through it.

And with the federal aid that came our way in the aftermath, we have strengthened 246 water treatment systems, supported over 600 businesses, created nearly 2,000 homes, protected 3,500 acres with climate change mitigation projects, and improved broadband for over 100,000 households and businesses. And this money is still funding projects, so there’s more to come.

We’ve had success on a smaller scale as well:

A little over a year ago, there was an idea to fold a team from the Agency of Transportation – the folks who build things – into our housing team to make more units available, quickly and affordably. When flood waters damaged dozens of homes beyond repair for the second year in a row, this group stepped up to say, “we can help.” And in a show of true bipartisanship, the Emergency Board transferred $7 million to get them started. In a matter of months, they’ve improved 34 empty lots and placed 32 mobile homes with five already under contract for purchase.

And that’s just one example. Here are a few more:
We’ve welcomed over 1,000 refugees in the last three years, and we’ll continue to do our part.

While we’re not claiming victory, overdose and suicide deaths are trending downward. So are highway fatalities and crashes.

Since October 2021, state funding for brownfields has helped clean up 42 contaminated sites, making way for over 700 new homes – adding economic value for communities after years of being an eye sore.

Since 2020, our VHIP investments have brought 500 affordable apartments online with almost 500 more under construction. The average grant is about $36,000, which is a bargain in today’s market.

State parks welcomed over a million visitors last season – one of our best years ever, despite the flooding.

VOREC, the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Collaborative, is paying off – contributing $2.1 billion to our economy in 2023. This puts us second in the nation, after Hawaii.

We’ve issued hundreds of “Rays of Kindness”, recognizing Vermonters for their everyday good deeds. That includes Mr. G, a teacher in Northfield (whose here today), recognized for his Walking Wednesday group, which has been connecting students to exercise and their community for years.

To better serve Vermonters, we’ve started the long overdue process of modernizing our 55-year-old unemployment IT infrastructure.

We’ve completed major projects like the 1,000-foot runway expansion at the Franklin County Airport, which, coupled with the expansion of water and sewer infrastructure, will make Highgate an economic hub.

We brought train service from Burlington to New York City after two decades of waiting.

But that’s nothing compared to another huge accomplishment in Transportation. Because this year, we had just one truck stuck in Smuggler’s Notch. Now, if we can go from as many as 12 stuckages down to one, we should be able to do most anything.

Kidding aside, all across the state there are good things happening – large and small – every single day.

Last year, I talked about the countless Vermonters, leading by example to support their communities in good times and bad.

It’s something we saw in the summer of 2023 and again in 2024 when flood waters ravaged the state, and Vermonters tapped into that same stubborn sense of community to once again help neighbors muck out and clean up.

But it’s not just about lending a hand. It’s the genuine concern for others – the selflessness – that sets us apart.

About a month after this year’s flood, me and my team were in Lyndonville, talking with the town about their many challenges. With back-to-back floods, the local teams were exhausted; the Northeast Kingdom’s two-person Long Term Recovery Group was struggling to keep up with all the need; the selectboard was piecing together funding to cover costs; and they were all spread too thin.

But what struck me – and has stuck with me – was something one of the local homeowners said. Carrie, and her husband Nathan, gave us a glimpse of life on Brook Road, which – along with Red Village Road – saw some of the worst damage and left many – them included – on an island in their own homes.

Since they couldn’t drive in or out, they had to walk one kid up the road, and the other down, to get them to school. Family members were carrying in groceries on foot and as their generator was running low, they were trying to figure out how to get fuel.

But Carrie wasn’t sharing this story to complain. Her point – her concern – was not about her family or even the challenges of her town. She said, “I’m just worried about the folks up in Kirby.” Because even with all Lyndon’s struggles, she knew they had more resources than their smaller neighbor.

This is the selflessness – this is the stubborn sense of community – that inspires me to do the work to make the lives of these Vermonters and all Vermonters easier, and better, every day.

My friends – whether it’s putting the needs of your neighbors ahead of your own significant challenges, leaving your family for months to protect democracy around the world, or being a trusted and honest voice for your community for decades – the examples are there for us. We just need to learn from them.

This year, we’ve once again been asked to step up, solve big problems and help people. And there’s no doubt our challenges are great. But if we meet them head on – accept reality but refuse to settle for it – I know, when this session comes to a close, we will be able to go back to our communities with our heads held high, proud of the work we did here.

We will go home with a renewed sense of duty, and hope for the brighter future that all Vermonters deserve. That’s what they asked us to do. And we cannot – and must not – let them down.

Read the story on VTDigger here: FULL TEXT: Gov. Phil Scott’s 2025 inaugural address.

Watch ORCA Media’s livestream of Gov. Phil Scott’s inaugural address to the Vermont Legislature on Thursday. Follow along with VTDigger.org for updates.

Read the story on VTDigger here: WATCH: The governor delivers inaugural address to the Legislature.

A winter storm expected to hit northern parts of Vermont just after midnight could make travel difficult for New Year’s Eve revelers.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning from 1 a.m. Wednesday morning until 7 a.m. Friday for Orleans and Lamoille Counties and the eastern parts of Chittenden and Franklin Counties.

Total snow accumulations are forecast to range from 6 to 12 inches, according to the National Weather Service, t. However, strong winds up to 45 miles per hour as well as the weight of snow could bring down trees and power lines causing power outages.

The National Weather Service also warned that travel could be difficult in impacted areas and cautioned against driving. Those who do should bring flashlights, food and water in vehicles, according to the National Weather Service.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Winter storm forecast to greet Vermont on New Year’s Day.

VTDigger published more than 2,600 stories this year — set in every corner of Vermont and tackling every topic imaginable. But which of these stories resonated most with readers?

Our most-read story of 2024 — by a mile — was among the more recent. Hundreds of thousands of readers checked out Shaun Robinson’s December investigation into surveillance towers that have cropped up along the U.S.-Canada border in recent years. 

Robinson also penned our second-most-read story in September, localizing a Politico report on potential security vulnerabilities in new software being developed by a firm that works with Vermont election officials. Though the Secretary of State’s Office said the issues did not affect Vermont, the story caught fire in the runup to a bitterly contested national election. 

Not surprisingly, extreme weather events kept readers glued to VTDigger’s homepage. Weather stories generally — including big snowstorms in March, April and November — continued to attract eyeballs, but the most consequential stories of the year came out of Vermont’s two big summer floods. 

The day after we finished publishing Downstream, our 10-part series documenting the July 2023 floods — and on the one-year anniversary of the storm that caused them — the remnants of Tropical Storm Beryl rolled into Vermont, causing another crisis. VTDigger reporters fanned out across the state to report on the immediate danger, aftermath and recovery. Within 24 hours, we published more than 20 stories on the flooding, including this roundup, one of our most-read stories of the year.

Weeks later, another major rain event — this one centered in the Northeast Kingdom — brought more historic flooding. VTDigger kept up its coverage, which included Emma Cotton’s vivid account of a Lyndonville woman being pulled down a flooded waterway. 

Our coverage of astronomical phenomena was a bit more lighthearted than that of meteorological events. 

In April, as millions of people gazed upward for a total solar eclipse, VTDigger reporters hit the crowded streets to cover the celestial, once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon. Reporter Auditi Guha wrote about the awe experienced by Vermonters and the thousands who flocked to the state for prime viewing. Photographer Glenn Russell and others captured stunning images of the eclipse and the atmosphere surrounding it. And intern Juan Vega de Soto captured how the eclipse brought families together to share the moment. Our readers seemed especially interested in the latest cloud-cover forecasts, where to watch the eclipse and where the traffic was particularly bad after the sun was fully visible again.

Housing and homelessness continued to captivate readers in 2024. They closely followed VTDigger and Vermont Public reporter Carly Berlin’s coverage of evictions caused by the winddown of the state’s motel housing program — and especially the impact on children and families. And readers were interested in reporter Patrick Crowley’s examination of Burlington’s pod program and Cotton’s remembrance of Tammy and Lucas Menard, who died in a tent on family land the day before Thanksgiving. 

Many of VTDigger’s investigations this year were among our most widely read stories, including Statehouse bureau chief Sarah Mearhoff’s piece documenting a reprimand Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman faced last year, reporter Corey McDonald’s coverage of allegations against Vermont Construction Company and even intern Catherine Hurley’s reporting on a county prosecutor’s vicious dog. 

Readers kept a close eye on stories about Vermont’s economy and businesses. They eagerly consumed reporter Kevin O’Connor’s coverage of major changes at Killington — as well as stories about layoffs at a federal immigration center in Essex and at Vermont Castings in Randolph and Bethel. 

An even more important metric than the number of people who read a story is how much time they spend absorbing it. We know we’ve delivered the goods when the “time-on-page” for a given story far exceeds the average. 

Among the pieces that most consistently kept VTDigger readers’ attention, according to this metric, were Mark Bushnell’s “Then Again” columns on Vermont history. His most closely read pieces this year included ones on a 1925 alleged kidnapping, the Battle of Bennington and an early hike of the Long Trail. 

Readers were clearly drawn to VTDigger’s long-form reporting, sticking around for Berlin’s exploration (for Vermont Public’s “Brave Little State”) of whether Vermont’s motel housing program was a “magnet” for out-of-staters experiencing homelessness; Mearhoff’s profile of a man seeking to change Vermont’s sexual assault laws; Cotton’s “Wild Divide” series about the battle over hunting and trapping; and reporter Ethan Weinstein’s coverage of a lack of access to special education. 

And a number of profiles and obituaries of influential Vermonters — including Sen. Dick Mazza, Renaissance man Bill Mares and former political operative Tim Hayward — had some of the greatest “time-on-page” of the year, as did Mearhoff’s election-season profile of Gov. Phil Scott and intern Habib Sabet’s exit interview with former Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger. 

What’ll attract your attention in 2025? Stick around to find out. 

Read the story on VTDigger here: What captured the attention of VTDigger readers in 2024.

Updated at 8:13 a.m.

In the end, Scott Mason didn’t make it very far. 

The suspect in the Friday shooting of a St. Johnsbury police officer was arrested early Sunday morning in the house next door to where the crime took place, according to Vermont State Police. 

After obtaining a search warrant earlier that morning, state police and other law enforcement agencies entered 251 Portland Street and took Mason into custody around 2 a.m., state police said in a press release. He was brought to the local barracks for processing, after which he was expected to be transferred to jail. 

Mason, 38, of St. Johnsbury, was wanted for attempted second-degree murder and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer resulting in serious bodily injury, along with other charges unrelated to the shooting. 

The incident began around 4:30 p.m. Friday when local police responded to a report of domestic violence at Mason’s apartment, at 261 Portland Street, state police have previously said. Mason allegedly shot and wounded Capt. Jason Gray, a nearly 25-year veteran of the St. Johnsbury Police Department. 

Authorities have not described what happened next, but after appearing to focus on the Portland Street area Friday night, they expanded their search — asking law enforcement agencies throughout the state and region to look out for Mason and warning members of the public that he could be armed and dangerous. 

The town of St. Johnsbury and the FBI’s Albany field office on Saturday announced separate rewards of up to $25,000 for information leading to Mason’s arrest and conviction. 

Gray, who had been airlifted Friday to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, “sustained severe injuries” in the shooting, according to a statement issued by the town, but was in stable condition as of Saturday evening. 

The town said in the statement that it had “him, his family and friends in our hearts as he recovers from this assault.” It continued, “We are also thinking of the rest of the police department as well as our dispatchers and first responders who have been affected by this traumatic event. We are committed to supporting all efforts to provide them the support they need to recover.”

Read the story on VTDigger here: Suspect in shooting of St. Johnsbury police officer arrested after 2-day search.

Two people were found dead in a tent late Wednesday afternoon in Wolcott, according to the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department. 

The department and the Hardwick Emergency Rescue Squad responded to a report about the situation at around 5:55 p.m. that day, the sheriff’s department said in a press release Thursday. 

The department identified the deceased as Lucas Menard, 48, of Montpelier, and Tammy Menard, 53, of Berlin. Authorities said they did not know what caused the deaths but did not suspect foul play. 

Read the story on VTDigger here: 2 found dead in a tent in Wolcott.

Updated at 9:40 p.m.

A shooting in Rutland on Friday night left one person dead, according to authorities. 

The Rutland City Police Department responded to a report of gunshots just after 7 p.m. Friday on Elm Street, near Grant Avenue, the department said in a press release early Saturday morning. Christopher Hale, 32, of Rutland, sustained gunshot wounds in the incident and was brought to Rutland Regional Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead, police said.

At around 10:15 p.m. Friday, Rutland officers and members of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations arrested two people in connection with Hale’s death. Police said Dylin Wainscott, 28, of Westfield, Massachusetts, faces first-degree murder and narcotic possession charges. Precious Okorie, 38, of Springfield, Massachusetts, faces conspiracy and accessory before the fact charges. 

Wainscott and Okorie were being held at Marble Valley Correctional Facility in Rutland and were expected to be arraigned on Monday. 

Police called it “an isolated-targeted incident” and said there was no wider threat to the public. 

Read the story on VTDigger here: 1 dead, 2 arrested in Rutland shooting.

Throughout the state on Tuesday night, Vermonters waited as the results of the 2024 election trickled in — whether huddled around the TV at election watch parties or glued to their phones for updates. Photographers Glenn Russell and Josh Kuckens followed candidates and voters as the results were called.

Need to catch up on all things related to Vermont’s 2024 election? You can find all of our coverage from Tuesday here.

Read the story on VTDigger here: PHOTOS: Winners, losers and election night watchers.

Updated at 7:56 p.m.

In a presidential race characterized by uncertainty, one outcome appeared preordained: that Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, would carry Vermont. 

The Green Mountain State did not surprise. 

By 7 p.m. Tuesday — just as polls closed — the Associated Press called the state for Harris. 

Worth just three Electoral College votes out of 538, Vermont was hardly poised to shape the outcome of the election. 

The state is nothing if not consistent. It has gone to the Democratic nominee in every presidential election since Republican George H.W. Bush defeated Democrat Michael Dukakis in 1988. In recent cycles, the Democratic nominee has won at least 55% of the vote.

Harris even picked up the support of Vermont’s Republican governor, Phil Scott, who told reporters outside his Berlin polling place late Tuesday afternoon that he had cast his ballot for the Democratic nominee. 

Other Harris voters included Rylee Masson, a 21-year-old residence director at the University of Vermont who recently graduated from UVM, and was voting in his first presidential election Tuesday. “I think just having someone who’s so much younger than who we’ve had in the past couple of terms is really important,” he said. Masson added that he thinks Harris “has galvanized and energized the youth vote in a way that hasn’t been seen in a really, really long time. I have a lot of friends who have shown no interest in politics up until this point that are” now engaged.

In Swanton, 30-year-old Troy Davis said he opted for Harris because “I felt like we need someone new to pick up the pieces. So far the country feels like it’s going through drama … and I wouldn’t mind having a woman as president for the first time.”

Though far fewer in number, Trump supporters also made their voices heard at Vermont polls on Tuesday.

Among them was Norman Boyden, 80, a retired clockmaker from Williston. “Trump is not a perfect person. None of us are. Has he made mistakes? Absolutely. But the other side has made far more mistakes,” Boyden said.

Nick Benson, a 32-year-old firefighter for the city of Barre, also voted for the former Republican president, citing his concerns about government spending, high taxes and rising costs. "I have a four-year-old. I'm nervous about what it's going to be like when my daughter's my age,” he said. 

Phyllis Hall, a 79-year-old retired Orwell resident, used to vote Republican, but on Tuesday she opted for Harris. “I thought it would be important to try and keep Trump out,” she said. “I like the way Kamala talks. She has good ideas.”

Emma Cotton, Peter D’Auria, Audi Guha and Paul Heintz contributed reporting.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Kamala Harris takes Vermont.