Vermont’s nonpartisan fiscal analysts are warning of softening revenues, unreimbursed SNAP costs, looming transportation funding gaps, and a projected 12% jump in property taxes. Lawmakers now face a basic choice: raise more money, cut serv
Vermont second home owners could see tax bills jump by $5,000 annually under Act 73's new property classification system. The law creates separate rates for vacation properties and short-term rentals starting in 2028, with owners facing new
Vermont's fiscal math is unforgiving: state spending grows at 5% annually while the tax base expands at only 2-3%. Property taxes have tripled since 2000, pension obligations rest on optimistic assumptions, and working-age residents continu
Vermont's special education funding gap reveals a broken promise: Congress pledged 40% federal support in 1975 but delivers only 7-10%. Property taxpayers cover the rest—$8.5 million in Rutland Northeast alone. Worse, schools can't bill pri
Vermont funds its schools through a single statewide Education Fund, not separate town systems. Local voters approve school budgets each March, and the Legislature later adjusts statewide property tax and other revenues so the Education Fun
Vermont spends more than any other state relative to its economy, with 29.4% of its output going to state and local government. Heavy federal dependency and a high tax burden demand urgent reform. Can Vermont reduce spending and grow sustai
Health insurance in the U.S. has shifted from catastrophic coverage to an inefficient catch-all system. By adopting portable HSAs, transparent pricing, and deregulated markets, we can empower individuals and reduce skyrocketing premiums. Th
Vermont’s fiscal pressures extend far beyond education funding. Housing scarcity, healthcare costs, workforce readiness, regulation, and demographic decline are compounding in ways that no single policy fix can resolve. Part 2 continues the
Vermont’s education funding crisis is not the result of a single law or a broken formula. It is the visible collision point of decades of policy decisions that constrained growth, increased costs, and expanded obligations without regard for
Vermont’s shrinking pool of buildable land and new statewide zoning mandates are steering the state toward a dense, walkable future. Act 47 accelerates this shift by overriding local control, pushing higher housing density, and limiting rur
Vermont’s land base is far more limited than commonly understood. With roughly three-quarters of the state already conserved, publicly owned, or in long-term Current Use, the remaining buildable acreage is small and shrinking. As conservati
Vermont’s Current Use Program reduces property taxes on agricultural and forest land by assessing enrolled parcels at use value rather than market value. As enrollment grows and more landowners—both resident and non-resident—post their prop
