This commentary is by Mike Mrowicki. He is a Democrat representing Putney and Dummerston in the Vermont House of Representatives.
A dollar is a lot of money if you don’t have it, my grandfather used to say. He was an immigrant who came to America right after the pandemic of the early 20th century, and just in time for the Great Depression. He knew hard times and the value of a dollar. He worked hard for what he earned as a butcher and later in a defense factory during World War II. He watched his dollars carefully, and kept two rubber bands wrapped around his wallet. Those rubber bands only came off when a very high bar was cleared to rationalize spending.
It’s quite a stretch from him (and my other three grandparents) landing in America from Poland and my being elected to the Vermont House of Representatives. And now, being assigned to the House Appropriations Committee, and metaphorically, keeping that rubber band wrapped around the wallet of the state and only taken off with necessity.
Anyone not feeling their state dollars are being spent wisely should actually take a look at how stringently any expenditure is scrutinized. Every line item is parsed and explained by those requesting an expenditure. We are not spendthrift and we only make careful investments of your tax dollars, challenging every expense put before us and expecting the case be made before we open up the state’s wallet.
If one disagrees on what we’re spending those dollars on, that’s another story. I can assure you, though, your tax dollars are not spent without being poked, prodded and looked at by every member of our committee. Then it has to be approved by a majority of the 150 House members. After that, it’s then sent to the Senate for the same level of scrutiny and back to the governor for his approval and signature. There’s nothing about that process that’s quick, easy or done without much thoughtful consideration and process.
Right now, we’re wrapping up work on the mid-year budget adjustment. (We work on a fiscal calendar, July 1 to June 30) We compare the proposals for this budget year to the actuals and adjust accordingly (e.g. nursing home usage is up and we are moving dollars to cover those costs). We are also putting funds into stockpiling birth control supplies, based on the threats to women’s health care from the White House.
So, nursing home coverage for elderly Vermonters, flood damage repair, emergency housing and stockpiling birth control supplies are among the items that comprise our “spending.” We can argue about whether you agree with those appropriations but they go through the rigors of our representative democracy and all the votes that entails.
We’ll be wrapping up work on the mid-year budget adjustment in the first week of February, and then jump from the frying pan into the fire of the 2026 budget, the Big Bill.
Ever mindful though, of the planned chaos coming from the White House, it’s hard to know from one day to the next what to expect. Exactly the opposite of the kind of stability most businesses want for a healthy business climate. Already we’re seeing signs in the economy, such as 10-year Treasury bonds that there is not great confidence in the incoming regime’s policies.
Back in Vermont, the governor’s budget proposal has been submitted and if anyone cares to do a deep dive copies of the full proposal are available online.
As we work to complete a year’s worth of work in the 18 weeks of our legislative session, Vermonters can know that legislators heard loud and clear the message of austerity from voters in the 2024 Vermont election. Property tax hikes like the 14% we saw last year are unacceptable. (As are the increases that were higher depending on your locale). A long-term, sustainable plan is needed to address this issue and we are ready to work with the governor on finding solutions that address both affordability and quality public education for our children.
I again want to reassure Vermonters that the House Appropriations Committee is exercising due diligence on their behalf. Your tax dollars are being scrutinized with great rigor. Just like my grandfather, we know a dollar is a lot of money if you don’t have one, so we spend carefully before taking the rubber bands off the states wallet.
We do want to hear from you and your suggestions for the budget. To that end, there will be two public hearings for Vermonters to weigh in with their budget suggestions. Feb.13 from 1:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m., and Feb. 20. from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Information to sign up will be on the legislative web page.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Rep. Mike Mrowicki: Your tax dollars are spent with rigorous scrutiny.