Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont internship, for the Other Paper
South Burlington voters showed up to the polls on Town Meeting Day to consider ballot items that include a $73.9 million school budget. Before the results came out, the Other Paper headed to the polls at Frederick H. Tuttle Middle School to chat with residents about school and city spending and why more people aren’t running for elected office.
Andrew Chalnick
(Chalnick ran uncontested for city council)
City budget: “I think we’re firing on all cylinders. I think we need to continue the course, be careful about our budget, and be careful to grow intentionally in the right areas.”
School budget: “They don’t have a lot of control over it. A lot of the mandates come down from the state. To cut more budget, they’ll need to cut into the bone and cut some teachers, so it’s a tough job.”
Edward Steele
City budget: “For me, it sounded reasonable, and they need to run the city. Costs go up every year, so they need that extra.”
School budget: “I guess all these schools have been in place for years and years, probably too many really. They hadn’t cared for them in the past, or even now, because the maintenance on them is too expensive. It’s too excessive.”
Kell Weerle
City council election: “Beth (Zigmund). I really liked her stance on lowering property taxes in order to make sure that we have affordable housing.”
What the city council can improve upon: “Making sure that we’ve got enough shelters for domestic violence victims. I am the safety home program coordinator for the state of Vermont, so just making sure that we’ve got all of these things in mind for people.”
Why more people aren’t running for school board: “A couple of years ago I actually worked at this school. I think education is in a really rocky time right now with the current (presidential) administration.”
Victoria Olteanu
Overall spending: “It’s too expensive, everything, and we just cannot afford to pay more.”
School budget: “I voted no. We have been living in South Burlington for at least 15 years, and I don’t think I have seen much significant improvement in school performance. I feel like it’s been the same. And we feel prices going up every single year.”
Emilye and Kennedy Corbett
City budget: “I voted for the city budget. It seemed like they had done their due diligence. We’re new to the city, and I’m impressed with the kind of development and what they are doing.”
School budget: “I have kids in the school system, and I’ve been impressed with the schools. One of the reasons we moved here is for the school system, so I would like to see it level off a bit, but ultimately, I did vote for it.”
Chris Bishop
What the city council can improve upon: “More financial control of their current expenses, and second, when they use the word ‘affordability,’ they need to take an inward look to understand what makes the things they do not affordable. People applying for permits is a very expensive process, between the legal and architectural fees.”
Why more people aren’t running for school board: “There’s too much divisiveness in the community, and I think people the last several years have spoken out very negatively towards one another. I mean, this is quite a time commitment, it’s dedication on their part, and I think people have gone too far in their discourse against one another.”
Diana Woodrum
School budget: “I’ve always felt like it’s a little bit high. I’d like to see (the percent increase) be closer to five or six. I just feel like 7 to 9 is a little high. I always wonder why it’s more than the city budget.”
Tim Riley
City budget: “I feel that this city has been very aware that an increase is needed, and they have really minimized it.”
Jennifer Lai
City council election: “They talk about housing, affordability and climate change in this country-, class- and race-forwarded way that, frankly, to me, is not meeting the urgency of the moment for all of those issues.”
School budget: “On principle, we of course want to support our schools and we as an individual household can afford the increase in taxes in order to do that. But at the same time, it’s still the same theme of we’re dissatisfied and frankly underserved by our elected representatives when it comes to involving us in these decisions so that we can understand them and actually have an informed vote.”
F. Richard Newman
City council elections: “I voted for the incumbent, Amy Allen.”
City budget: “Taxes are important to me. I’m retired, and I think the city council has managed the city budget pretty well, along with the city manager and her administration.”
School budget: “I know they manage expenses to inflation now, which is great. That’s a good first step, but the tax rate (increase) is still almost 9%. It’s too much. They’ve got to manage those expenses better.”
Sam Lipshutz
City council election: “At the end of their terms, I can guarantee you we will still have a housing crisis. I’ll bet you $10,000. They can write paragraphs and paragraphs but never, ever going to do the thing that is necessary, and that is inconvenience — in the slightest — the wealthy.”
Steven Burt
School budget: “I voted against it ‘cause I hear that we’re one of the most expensive ones in the nation and we have the worst results, and that’s crazy. They keep throwing money at it, and I don’t know what’s going on.”
Michele Hadeka
Overall spending: “Do I like having higher taxes? No, I don’t. But I think we need to support our community.”
School budget: “I do believe we need to give our kids the best education that we can.”