Vital Communities

The heart of Vermont is our communities. We live on a small scale here where being someone's neighbor really means something. We share our joy in good times and support each other during bad times.

We are fortunate to have the opportunity to live in a way that many people can only imagine. The scale in Vermont is small and personal. Even our biggest city, Burlington, is small by the standards of other states.

Sadly, I share the growing concern that our communities are in jeopardy. Increasingly, we read that boards are feuding, local politicians are resigning and seats on boards and commissions go unfilled. Some think the answer is in hiring professionals to do jobs that we have always elected our neighbors to do.

Selectboards across the state have contracted out the auditing of the town's books and now some have talked about hiring full-time treasurers rather than having an elective officer. There is talk about having county superintendents of schools. These are just a few of the initiatives that are trying to remove government a crucial step away from voters.

State requirements on communities continue to be one of the biggest problems. The Legislature has repeatedly added burdens on to local officials, through Act 60 and countless other measures, but have provided little training or support in carrying out these mandates. I think the League of Cities and Town's (VLCT) should share some of the responsibility for the decline in support for town officials. In the Legislature, I'll work to correct this and to see that local officials are asked to comment on any further proposals that will impact them.

Unfortunately, the Legislature relies too heavily on pressure groups, like VLCT, to hear how the actions it takes will impact local communities. Rather than hearing from individual communities, legislators often hear a one-size-fits-all recommendation that, in the end, fits very few communities properly. That needs to change.

As part of this, I will work to get funding for local road, bridge, and culvert maintenance restored to the local level where it rightfully belongs. The Legislature must stop the practice of underwriting the General Fund budget with highways fund money. Communities, and their local economy, run on good, well-maintained roads.

In Strengthening Local Economies I'll talk about encouraging local entrepreneurs and expanding job opportunities. Helping to grow local economies will have more than just economic benefits. Strong local economies will help us strengthen our communities.

As one example, with people traveling long distances to get to better paying jobs, many local fire departments and rescue squads suffer from manpower shortages between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. By creating better paying jobs closer to home, we can shorten commuting distances which helps the environment, strengthens families, aids vital volunteer emergency services and which would also help re-engage people in their communities.

How important is keeping your local community vital and active?  What role should the legislature and State government play in this? Leave a comment below.