Trash to treasure
Wishful thinking
Got Junk guy starts new venture collecting unused electronics
Make-a-Wish group opens new theater at Teddy Bear Factory
Page 3
Page 16
POSTAL CUSTOMER
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #217 CONCORD, NH ECRWSSEDDM
South Burlington’s Community Newspaper Since 1977
the MARCH 6, 2025
otherpapersbvt.com
VOLUME 49, NO. 10
Voters narrowly approve $71.5M school budget Four new faces at the board table LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
PHOTO BY IAN KREINSEN
Rep. Bridget Burkhardt, D-South Burlington, campaigns for school board write-in candidate Emilee Hoffman.
Residents approve $55.8 million city budget Incumbent Elizabeth Fitzgerald keeps her seat on the city council LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
South Burlington residents approved a $55.8 million city budget on Town Meeting Day, 2,301-1,276. The budget is lower than the current year’s spending and will result in a smaller-than-expected
increase on the tax rate. The bulk of the spending comes from the city’s proposed general fund budget — which includes all revenues and expenses related to day-to-day city operations. That $36.1 million represents a roughly 2.5 percent increase in spending over the current year and comprises nearly
65 percent of the overall spending plan. Other drivers in the budget include: • Wastewater: $7.5 million • Stormwater: $6.4 million • Drinking water: $4.5 million See CITY BUDGET on page 12
Voters Tuesday narrowly approved the $71.5 million South Burlington school budget on the first try, a far cry from last year, when they shot down the budget twice. The spending plan was approved 1,864-1,737. Since December, school district officials have touted this budget season as one of the most difficult they have had to grapple with, especially since the price tag came with the reduction of roughly 15 full-time equivalent positions. The plan includes a roughly 7 percent increase over last year’s expenditures with an associated projected tax rate of nearly 8 percent. The spending increase is largely indicative of a roughly 2.5 percent inflation rate and the state-mandated district contributions to employee health benefits programs, which are estimated to increase by more than 11 percent, with nearly 75 percent of the expenditure plan to compensate for employees’ salaries and benefits. While the district has control over major aspects of the budget, there are a number of factors that remain outside of local officials’ hands. Factors like the common
South Burlington City Center Location
NOW OPEN!
SERVING BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER DINE-IN / TAKE OUT / ONLINE ORDERING
level of appraisal — or real estate inflation — yield and pupil weights all play a major role in the state’s education financing formula and ultimately play an even bigger role in the tax rates residents will be paying. The district has also been negatively affected by a shift in the state’s education funding formula known as Act 127. The law, while meant to better equalize education, updated the state’s equalized pupil-weighting system and gave more “value” to students from lower-income families, English language learners, students from low-population districts and small schools in sparsely populated districts. This year, the South Burlington School District’s pupil weights, based on the new methodology, dropped just over 60 points over last year, causing a negative impact for the district’s revenue streams and ultimately, resident’s tax rates. This year’s passage stands in stark difference to last year. The current budget, slightly over $68 million, passed only after two other proposed budgets failed last year. The associated tax increase of 8.18 percent was the second See SCHOOL BUDGET on page 13 NEW! 268 Market Street & Shelburne Road, S. Burlington Maple Tree Place, Williston
GetBlissBee.com @getblissbee