Vermont’s most-populated cities and towns are set to ask voters for nearly $275 million in capital projects this March town meeting season — up more than four times from the $60 million proposed last year.
A survey of bond requests in the state’s 29 municipalities with at least 5,000 people shows 85% of the money would pay for water and sewer improvements to address old systems, growing storm surges and changes in technology.
“Age-related concerns have been anticipated, but we’ve gotten hit really hard by significant flooding,” said Emmalee Cherington, director of engineering for the Middlebury Public Works Department. “I think people understand our infrastructure is critical and requires upgrading from time to time.”
In the biggest project on the ballot, Burlington will vote on two requests totaling $172 million: $152 million to upgrade the city’s wastewater and stormwater systems to curb Lake Champlain pollution and accommodate more housing, and $20 million to improve the city’s drinking water reservoir, pump station, treatment plant and pipes.
(Burlington also will consider a $20 million bond for other municipal needs, including fire trucks, police cruisers and snow plows; parks projects; and additional street and sidewalk work.)
Middlebury will weigh three requests totaling $52 million: $49 million to improve its wastewater treatment facility and increase flood protection, $2 million to upgrade its Rogers Road pump station, and $1 million to construct two gravel wetlands at its Adams Acres stormwater treatment area.
St. Albans City will cast ballots on a $4 million plan for an underground Houghton Park storage tank to address wastewater overflow.
Rutland City will ask for $3.8 million to improve water, wastewater and stormwater systems, as well as municipal buildings, streets and sidewalks.
And St. Johnsbury will seek $2.76 million to upgrade its water supply system, specifically around Bay Street.
Local leaders acknowledge the projects are pricey and the future of federal aid questionable.
“It’s very much day to day,” Cherington said of the latter uncertainty.
But leaders nonetheless are scouring for supplemental money.
“We are hoping to keep the costs much lower,” Cherington said. “Competitive state and federal funding involves a show of community support. A positive vote allows us to apply.”
Votes on other local spending, leaders
The state’s biggest municipalities aren’t limiting their capital proposals to water and sewer requests.
Swanton will vote on a $8.3 million building to house the Swanton Village Electric Department. (Only taxpayers in the central village, and not the surrounding town, will be deciding and directly responsible for the bond).
Milton will consider $8 million in improvements to its elementary and middle schools.
Montpelier will weigh a $2.2 million request for a new aerial ladder fire truck.
And Shelburne will cast ballots on a $1.4 million plan to improve its Town Center and historic Town Hall and add police and highway vehicles and ambulance equipment.
Many communities are proposing new or expanded local option taxes, joining a list that now includes more than 30 cities and towns.
Springfield wants to add a 1% local tax on rooms and meals.
Hartford and Montpelier, both which have a 1% local tax on rooms, meals and alcohol, are asking to extend it to sales.
Middlebury is seeking to continue its time-limited 1% local tax on rooms, meals, alcohol and sales in perpetuity.
And Bennington will vote on authorizing the option of a 1% local tax on non-owner-occupied short-term rentals.
Of the eight Vermont municipalities with mayors, three will hold elections for the office this year.
In Rutland City, Mayor Mike Doenges will face former city clerk and alderman Henry Heck.
In Newport City, Rick Ufford-Chase, a city councilor and executive director of Newport Downtown Development, is the sole announced candidate for the seat being vacated by outgoing Mayor Linda Joy Sullivan.
And in Vergennes, Mayor Chris Bearor is unopposed for reelection.
Charter-change requests, other municipal matters
Several of Vermont’s largest hubs are proposing changes to their local charters — the first step in a process that also requires state legislative approval.
Burlington will vote on prohibiting firearms in any place with a first-class liquor license, as well as authorizing the city to regulate changes and termination of rental terms, including special notice requirements for tenants who are elderly or with disabilities or low incomes.
Winooski will consider whether the city should protect residential tenants from evictions without “just cause.”
And Bennington will weigh allowing legal residents who aren’t U.S. citizens and all youth ages 16 to 18 to vote in local elections.
In other municipal matters, Lyndon, Northfield and Waterbury will decide whether to switch voting from the floor of Town Meeting to all-day balloting for municipal budget articles and all other “public questions,” starting in 2026.
Essex Town will seek to increase the tax for its capital reserve fund from 3 to 5 cents per $100 of assessed property value.
Springfield will ask to transfer an acre parcel on Southridge Street to the local housing authority for market-rate development.
And Fairfax will vote on a citizen-petitioned article to rescind its town manager form of governance, authorize the retail sale of cannabis and raise its number of justices of the peace from 3 to 15.
As for non-binding advisory articles, Brattleboro, Montpelier and Winooski will consider a citizen-petitioned call to join an apartheid-free.org pledge for “freedom, justice, and equality for the Palestinian people and all people.”
Brattleboro also will weigh advisory articles calling for a local vote before the state could create a safe injection site in town; ordinances regulating downtown behavior and recouping costs from property owners who require a “high level” of police response; and a reduction in human services funding that’s now 2% of municipal spending.
Although most Vermont communities have set votes on local government matters on or around March 4, several have different schedules.
Barre City and Barre Town will cast school ballots in March but wait on municipal questions until May 13.
The city of Essex Junction, as per custom and charter, will decide local issues on April 8.
And Brattleboro will choose municipal leaders on March 4 and consider money articles at its Representative Town Meeting on March 22.
Read the story on VTDigger here: March bond requests are up fourfold in Vermont’s biggest cities and towns .