by Rep. Katherine Sims, Orleans 4
CRAFTSBURY – The second half of the 2023-2024 legislative biennium begins Wednesday, January 3. Thank you to everyone who filled out my priorities poll or shared your thoughts over the summer.
Our top priorities are: Housing (32%), Climate action (32%), Education (32%), Healthcare (30%), Mental health (21%).
In times of growing uncertainty and economic disparity, it’s our job to ensure equity and stability, now and for our future. The era of federal stimulus is ending so we’ll need to work creatively to address challenges and fund programs responsibly and sustainably.
As always, I’m focused on bringing the rural perspective to the session so that the systems work for our communities.
I’m committed to listening (even when–especially when!–we disagree), advocating for our communities, and keeping you up to date on what’s happening at the statehouse. The more input you share, the better I’m able to do this.
In particular, I want to hear from you while we are working on bills in the session. When you contact me with questions or concerns before we vote on the bill, there’s still time to make changes.
On the docket this session:
Housing: Vermont faces a housing crisis affecting families of all sizes, income levels and service needs. Building on the housing investments from last session and the recent recommendations from the “Designation 2050” study and the Necessary Updates to the Act 250 Program study, we’ll continue to tackle the housing issue in the coming session looking at how we can modernize land use regulations, adjust tax policy to support housing revitalization, and create more incentives for small and mid-size investors and builders to quickly create more housing opportunities in communities, and for families, who need them most.
Climate Resilience: As we saw this summer with the July flood, climate change is a fundamental threat to Vermont’s economy, environment, and way of life. Our state is becoming both warmer and wetter. The costs of cleaning up after a disaster are significant with the cost of the July flood expected to exceed $120 million. This session, we’ll explore how we can increase investment in climate resilient infrastructure so that all communities will be better protected against future disasters and we can save Vermonters money in the long run.
Emergency Medical Services: We all expect an ambulance to come when we call 911, but because current reimbursement rates do not cover the full cost of service delivery, EMS services are struggling to keep pace with the needs of our communities. This summer and fall, I served on the advisory committee for “Emergency\Medical Services Coordination” study which is providing recommendations to the legislature for improving the efficiency, effectiveness and coordination of EMS. This session, we’ll be digging into the recommendations so that all Vermonters can fully rely on EMS services well into the future.
School Construction Aid: All across Vermont, there is a substantial backlog of school construction and maintenance projects that has resulted in unhealthy school conditions and growing inequities between communities. Last session, we established a School Construction Aid Task Force to examine, evaluate, and report on issues relating to school construction aid. This session, we’ll consider those recommendations for legislative action.
Forest Economy: Vermont is losing thousands of acres of forestland to non-forest uses each year, destabilizing the forest economy and threatening Vermont’s forested working landscape. Over the past year, the Vermont Forest Future Strategic Road Map project has embarked on a robust public engagement process to identify opportunities to help Vermont chart a path forward to protect the long-term viability of forest-based businesses – and the many benefits they provide to the state’s environment, economy, and quality of life. The outcome of this process will be a report to the legislature identifying actionable strategies to strengthen, modernize, promote, and protect Vermont’s forest products sector and the broader forest economy.
Property tax rate projection is not set in stone. I know many of you are concerned about the estimated 18% increase in the property tax rate in the Department of Taxes and the legislative Joint Fiscal Office annual “December 1 letter.” While the projection is alarming, the estimate is only a starting point. The legislature won’t take action until next spring, when we set the annual homestead property yield based on voter-approved budgets and more definitive revenue projections. I know that many of us are feeling the pain of rising inflation, higher interest rates and an economy where wages and salaries don’t keep up. I know that most of us can’t afford higher property taxes. The legislature will balance our obligation to cover the needs of voter-approved budgets without placing an undue burden on taxpayers and we have significant policy levers to accomplish that. We can support our students without breaking the bank for Vermont households in the coming year.
