Illuminate!
‘Spring release’
City brings back popular celebratory event
Watercolorists paint public gallery with color
Page 2
Page 12
POSTAL CUSTOMER
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #217 CONCORD, NH ECRWSSEDDM
South Burlington’s Community Newspaper Since 1977
the MARCH 14, 2024
otherpapersbvt.com
VOLUME 48, NO. 11
COURTESY PHOTO
The newly seated South Burlington City Council, from left, Michael Scanlan, Andrew Chalnick, city manger Jessie Baker, Tim Barritt, Laurie Smith and Elizabeth Fitzgerald.
Barritt appointed council chair, Chalnick vice chair COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER
South Burlington’s three newly elected city council members were sworn in last week while the council appointed a new chair and vice chair. At its annual organizational meeting on Thursday, Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Michael Scanlan and Laurie Smith were welcomed to the dais and each took the oath of office during a swearing-in ceremony held by city clerk Holly Rees. The three councilors were victors in a six-way race for three open seats. It’s an almost entirely new council after the departure of former chair and vice chair Helen Riehle and Meaghan Emery, who together held nearly three decades
of experience on the council. The third seat was vacated by Tyler Barnes in October, just eight months after he was elected. Scanlan bested Julian Keenan and Lydia Diamond for Emery’s two-year seat, while Smith bested his opponent, Linda Bailey, by about 450 votes for Riehle’s threeyear seat. Fitzgerald ran unopposed for the remaining term of Barnes’ two-year term. “I’m really excited about the new councilors that we have. I want to work together collaboratively with you and collect useful feedback from the public,” said councilor Tim Barritt, now the city’s longest-tenured member. “I just want to remind everybody that we have a wonderful city — we have great leadership within the city itself, we have excellent infra-
structure, and we want to continue our growth but balance it with the environment and the school and our tax capacity that our homeowners have.”
While city manager Jessie Baker presided over the beginning of the meeting, Barritt soon took over the proceedings after being unanimously appointed chair of
the council. Barritt was previously the See CITY COUNCIL on page 13
School board adopts leaner budget LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
Following a failed Town Meeting Day vote of the school district’s proposed $71 million budget, the board voted on a leaner spending plan last Wednesday with a re-vote set for Thursday, April 4.
In addition to adopting a new budget of $69,530,000 — which represents an 11 percent spending increase over last year — the board also opted to apply a $2.27 million surplus that the community voted last week to allocate to the district’s capital reserve fund to offset its new budget.
The cut in spending of $1,662,891 will result in a tax-rate increase of 14.5 percent, 40 percent lower than the tax increase associated with the initial budget. The original budget featured See BUDGET on page 16
EL CORTIJO TAQUERIA
FARM TO TABLE DINING & EVENTS
PASCOLO RISTORANTE
BURLINGTON, VERMONT
GUILD TAVERN
FARMHOUSETG.COM
FARMHOUSE TAP & GRILL