Trust fund
Winter Wolves
SoBu land trust donates $10,000 to agriculture group
South Burlington hockey team shuts out nearby rival skaters
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the JANUARY 16, 2025
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City leaders sound alarm on restorative justice bill
VOLUME 49, NO. 3
House bound
LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
A new bill passed last year meant to expand pre-charge and restorative justice practices throughout the entire state has some municipal leaders in Chittenden County sounding the alarm to the Legislature over ramifications the plan could pose. The bill, Act 180, which is set to take effect in June, aims to expand pre-charge diversion and restorative justice practices throughout the state while also stabilizing funding and streamline oversight to ensure the program’s success. Vermont has a long history with restorative justice practices. In South Burlington, those practices date back as far as 2010. For Josef Lavanway, executive director of the South Burlington Community Justice Center, restorative justice is much more a philosophy than a program. “It’s a philosophy rooted in community, in repairing harm, in building that community, and supporting folks to not have similar situations happen in the future,” See BILL on page 13
COURTESY PHOTO
South Burlington’s delegation to the Vermont House of Representives started the new session last week. For a look into the first days, see page 2. From left, Reps. Brian Minier, Bridget Burkhardt, Kate Nugemt, Emilie Karsnow and Martin LaLonde.
School board adopts 7 percent spending increase LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
The South Burlington school board has officially adopted next year’s budget, but the vote for the $71.5 million spending proposal was not unanimous among board
members, and the lengthy discussion ahead of its adoption proved painful for the entire community. If approved at Town Meeting Day in March, the district will see the reduction of nearly 15 fulltime equivalent staff positions, along with the decimation of some
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programs that some students have called “lifesaving.” The $71.5 million budget includes a 7 percent increase over last year’s spending, largely indicative of a roughly 2.5 percent inflation rate and the state-mandated district contribu-
tions to employee health benefits programs, which are estimated to increase by more than 11 percent, or roughly $900,000. According to a presentation See SCHOOL BUDGET on page 12
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