The Burlington, Vermont City Council holds a meeting each year to review the Town Meeting Day ballot. This year, in addition to bond and budget items, voters will be asked to approve several charter changes on March 4th.
At the combination public hearing and public information session, residents had the chance to learn about the ballot items and ask questions.
Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, a Progressive, said voters will decide on more issues than usual this year.
“We have three bonds. We have the school budget, of course, and then an additional three charter change items that we really wanted to make sure we provide ample opportunity for people to get a high-level overview of these items from our subject experts to explain what these items are on the ballot,” the Mayor explained. “We want to remind folks about how they’re able to vote for Town Meeting Day and then most importantly answer questions on any of these items related to the ballot.”
Approval of three bonds will be put before voters. One allows the city to issue a $20 million general obligation bond for the city’s five-year plan; a $152 million bond for wastewater and stormwater projects and a separate $20 million bond for drinking water utility projects.
Mulvaney-Stanak said the investment is needed because maintenance has been deferred for years on city parks, buildings, fleets and general upkeep.
“The General Obligation Bond itself really does advance community safety when you think about the fleets being fire trucks and snowplows and police cruisers for example. The other two bonds are related to our water systems,” Mulvaney-Stanak noted. “One we’re calling the Lake Bond which is the more sizeable bond related to wastewater and our stormwater system and the other being our drinking water system called the Water Bond.”
Burlington School District Finance Director Nathan Lavery outlined the district’s 2026 $134.7 million proposed budget.
“The budget that the school board has asked the community to consider would decrease property tax rates by an estimated 4 percent. The community’s been really generous in supporting our schools and in particular our effort to rebuild our high school and technical center. And so we’re really proud of the fact that we’re able to offer some tax relief as part of this proposed budget,” Lavery said.
There are three charter changes before voters, too. Chief of Staff Erin Jacobsen reviewed them.
“The first one would prohibit any person from carrying or possessing a firearm in any building or on any real property or parking area under the ownership or control of an establishment licensed to serve alcohol on its premises. On Town Meeting Day 2014, Burlington voters approved this same proposed charter amendment. The legislature, however, has not yet acted on that. The members of our legislature have asked us to take this up again,” Jacobsen said. “Charter amendment number 2 is an amendment to regulate rental notifications and notification periods. Last charter amendment is regarding redistricting.”
Charter changes approved by Burlington voters must also be approved by the state legislature and governor.
No Burlington residents commented during the public meeting.
