To the Editor
First of all, I want to express my gratitude to our community for passing the third iteration of the school budget. As a school director I will be working hard to help us develop future budgets and district-wide configuration that we can all live with.
Many have spoken about sending a clear message to Montpelier. You have done that, but there is one more hurdle. The Property Tax Yield Bill that is on the veto list. I personally favor overriding the veto. This year’s legislative session has ended and there is not further negation or bill development. The governor wants to see more cuts, but if his veto holds, we are risking even higher property taxes for this year. Overriding the veto is the only recourse the Legislature has until a new session convenes in January.
A recent alert from the Vermont School Boards Association contains this:
The yield bill as passed by the House and Senate (H.887) requires purposeful, collaborative work to achieve affordability and quality in our education system and sets a yield that reflects a thoughtful, deliberative process by the General Assembly. The yield bill as passed added revenue to the Education Fund to reduce property taxes in fiscal year 2025.
This issue brief from the Joint Fiscal Office outlines the fiscal implications of no yield bill in fiscal year 2025. Without setting a new yield, property taxes would not raise sufficient revenue for the Education Fund, leading to an estimated deficit of $82 million and a non-homestead tax rate increase of 30%.
I urge you to write to your representatives in the VT House and Senate to override the veto. They need a two-thirds majority to override it.
Bobbi Rood
Waitsfield
