Governor warns population trends are affecting the tax burden in Vermont

While leaders of Vermont’s liberal-dominant parties call for new expenditures including universal school meals and subsidized green energy, the governor during his weekly press conference Tuesday warned that the state continues to face concerning population trends that will only worsen the tax burden.

Vermonters getting older

Gov. Phil Scott said over the past two decades the population over age 65 has risen by more than 40,000, while Vermonters between ages 35 and 65 have declined by about 40,000.

“More than half of our municipalities have seen our grand list, which is the total value of their taxable property, stay the same or shrink,” Gov. Phil Scott said. “This has happened while their budgets and school spending has increased.”

Scott called the 35-to-65 bracket “the heart of our workforce” and said they are facing increased costs.

“What that means is the tax burden, which is one of the highest in the nation, is being placed on more people living on fixed incomes,” Scott said. “And there aren’t enough kids in the wings to fill the gap.”

He added that the state lost about 30,000 residents under the age of 18 during that same stretch.

“More than half of our municipalities have seen our grand list, which is the total value of their taxable property, stay the same or shrink,” Scott said. “This has happened while their budgets and school spending has increased, meaning the burden is tougher on the taxpayers still left standing. The bottom line is we need more people, and we are competing with the rest of the country for them.”

One such competing economy is Florida, where fellow Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is overseeing one of the fastest growing economies in the nation.

Budget battle

Speaking on the state budget, the governor stated that it must meet his standards for investments in infastructure improvements, investing in new housing, and tax rellief for him to sign off on it.

“That’s why I’ve been so focused on increased funding for economic development and community revitilization in the budget, and it provides a line in the sand for me,” Scott said.

On the budget issue, the governor let Lindsay Kurrle, the Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, do most of the talking.

“The programs that we are seeking to fund will allow municipalities, nonprofits, and small businesses to make the recoveries and investments that they otherwise would not be able to make,” she said. “Think about the childcare center looking to expand, an infrastructure project the town doesn’t have the resources to finance, or the arts organization looking to rebuild their business after two years of being closed.”

She said a lot of these projects “are neer-ready to implement” but need funding to get started.

She said the governor’s original budget proposal back in January was for $100 million in funds specifically geared towards economic development.

“And as we wade through the final days of the session, we’re asking that the budget committees restore the majority of that ask,” she said.

She said that grants requested from these funds would be vetted to ensure that businesses which were harmed by the shutdowns during COVID-19 are beneffiting from the money.

Potential abortion ruling by SCOTUS

On the potential of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and sending the abortion issue back to each of the 50 states, Scott said “Vermont is prepared for this possibility — a few years ago we passed a law affirming that reproductive decisions are between a patient and their doctor without government interference.”

The governor noted that Proposal 5 would codify the right to an abortion up until the moment of birth and add other “reproductive liberties” into the Vermont Constitution.

“In November Vermonters will have the ability to codify that right in our state Constitution when Prop 5 is on the ballot,” Scott said.

Various polls on abortion rights show a majority of Americans are for legalized abortion, but support drops off sharply as the circumstance changes, with AP/NORC finding 61% believe abortion should be legal during the first trimester, but only 34% in the second trimester and 19% in the third, Forbes.com reported.

COVID-19 update: Cases up/hospital bed use steady

Health Commissioner Mark Levine, who also spoke, said that while reported case activity is high in Vermont, the number of people needing to use hospital beds per each case remains low.

“We know cases are higher in Vermont right now, but our seven day average of percent of staffed in patient beds in use by COVID-19 patients is actually low, at 4%,” he said.

While asking Vermonters to stay update to COVID-19 vaccinations, he noted that elderly populations continue to be those most frequently having serious reactions to the virus.

“A recent snapshot from UVM Medical Center showed that a majority of people who are hospitalized because of COVID-related illness were over 65 and were vaccinated,” Levine said.

Michael Bielawski is a reporter for True North. Send him news tips at bielawski82@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter @TrueNorthMikeB.

21 thoughts on “Governor warns population trends are affecting the tax burden in Vermont

  1. As if the last 3 years haven’t made businesses move away and with them their families, and any smart person seeing the writing on the wall with them.
    The ‘vision’ of Vermont based upon a model created in Switzerland by people who have never been to Vermont except the Disney version of Von Trapp-ism, ski areas, military and big tech paradise that ALL undermine why people came and stayed and worked the land the past two hundred years… ain’t working anymore.
    But you keep going with that ‘model’ that is NOT based on reality of living here, and see who can AFFORD to live here – are THOSE the people/corporations/spooks you want to ‘bring the hills alive’?
    What made Vermont last until now was not ‘woke’ or progressive or socialistcummarxist politics.
    It was hard working men and women who worked and stayed here for lower than minimum wage, because work ethic was valued, morals were intact, and helping your neighbor was not a virtue signal but necessity.
    Now we have 911 and the IOT to replace the communities shattered by the woke politics and the corporate greed fed by the government teat.
    Suck suck suck your integrity away, one corrupt compromise at a time.
    You have arrived at Disney Chinarmont, where child trafficking and human prostitution are all available if you pay the entrance fee, rooms provided.
    Damn those of us who ACTUALLY lived loved and worked in Vermont, and stayed because we did, and some still do NOT making greed our goal…

    • Maddy Kunin is from Switzerland. She authored books – “The New Feminist Agenda: Defining the Next Revolution for Women, Work and Family” and “Pearls, Politics, and Power: How Women Can Win and Lead.” She worked in the Clinton Administration. Old Maddy started the rise of the empowered woke brides of Satan who hold many high positions across the State.

  2. Demographics don’t lie, and Liberal Progressives are clueless to see it. About 45% of VT’s population is over 65 and under 19….they don’t pay much in taxes, but consume services.. Another demographic peope do not realize is that 1957 is peak baby boom year. Those born in 1957 turn 65 THIS YEAR. I know more than a few who could not afford the ” pension haircut” to retire early lower payouts….or greatly reduced Soc Sec payments if retire early. At 65 they get full payments for pension and Soc Security. PLUS, many HAD to wait to 65 to retire so they get CHEAP Medicare health insurance. If you quite before 65 you have to pay astronomically rates, out of pocket, for single health insurances – which cover so little with very high deductibles..(I personally suffered that cost) So watch in a year of two how many of the 1957 65 year old baby boomers can afford to stay in VT???. They are free to leave now with full benefits & very cheap Medicare insurance. Another problem yet solved is te PENSION crisis that is underfunded by about $4 billion? VT’s pension assets have gotten BADLY hurt this year, so far. I believe that VT pension assets spread roughly 60% fixed income (like bonds) and about 40% stocks. The BONDS have gotten badly hurt with fast rising interest rates, And their STOCKS are down 15% to 20% so far 2022….that is a big hit to a multi billion pension. And while VT got BILLIONS from federal covid funds…the majority of it just went to the usual bloated, wasteful “feel good” Enviro, race, gender, Social, climate change etc…projects…and all will be expended in a few years and will nave little of nothing to show for it….no matter how much they spend on Climate Change….it will never, ever change what Mother Nature throws at you. WORD OF ADVICE? get out of VT as soon as you can at 65 wilth your full benefits and cheap insurnace. The underfunded pension will very soon be closer to $6 billion…and WHO do you think they will tax? It will be YOU 🙂

  3. I can’t believe what Scott is saying: Vermont needs more people while he pushes abortion? Now the insult of paying people to move here because our cost of living is out of control. Until this state votes out the liberals nothing is going to change and that includes Scott. Less regulations now equals growth without spending millions more of hard earned taxpayer money which is part of the reason we beg people to move here.

  4. The solution is to tax Vermonters more to pay flatlanders to move here and work remotely. Working Vermonters leaving the state so non-Vermont working people can come here and buy their homes; what could go wrong with that plan?
    I knew the first time I heard Phil speak that he was over his head and he’s done nothing to make me reconsider. His brilliant idea was to let young people be exempt from income tax until they are 25. So they stay until then and then when they start to make more they bolt. Great plan.

  5. Here below is the winning platform for the VTGOP, this would be a platform to which the party would get stronger, closer to the truth.

    Instead we have uniparty, lies, deceit and division, which makes the Uniparty stronger and the people weaker, it’s their plan.

    You will own nothing and be happy.

    How is that plan working to bring people into VERMONT? That is the plan of Biden, whom scott votes for, that is the plan of the New World order, whom Scott is clearly carrying water for.

    Even the illegal aliens don’t come to VERMONT, that’s how bad the plan is. But we’ll get plenty of rich wannabe Marxist leaders, wanting to live off the public teet of tax money! Crony capitalism is the first cousin to socialism.

  6. A constant grasp for the obvious – seriously, Phil? What incentive is there to stay in Vermont? Did he just wake up from his CCP induced COVID hypnosis? Here’s a suggestion, start charging and prosecuting the corrupted, treasonous criminal syndicate running this State, seize their ill-gotten assets, and the coffers will likely overflow. After that is done, repeal every unconstititional tax law and regulation, remove half the bloated State government – including every board and advisory committee. If Phil or Shumlin or Douglas were more like Desantis, we would not be in this mess.

  7. Duhhaa Scottie, the young can’t afford to stay here, the retired can’t afford to stay here
    and with the continued cost of stupid regulation and tax the middle class can’t afford
    to stay here. Your soon to be left with rich that have lawyer’s to protect their money so
    what will the eager to tax it all dems do then???

  8. stop letting the medical system murder our population with vaxes and fake cancer diagnosis all funded by the feds

  9. Its the taxes that have cost Vermont people. These fools need to figure out the real problem — and they are responsible for it.

  10. Well governor (low caps intentional). Try being a humane Republican, or at least person. Perhaps model after Governor DeSantis. Be a real hero for your state, and represent the people, not special interests, Stop worrying about the bribe money from D.C. and strive to make Vermont self sustaining for the families that have been here for generations.

  11. I’m over 65 Gov Scott, and I’m leaving asap………This is the Craziest State of the State of Vermont I have ever seen and I’ve lived here all my life. I can read the writing on your wall; you don’t want us older folks……no problem I don’t want gender identity taught to children, I don’t want crt in schools, I don’t want gov/school/select/listers……oh the list goes on ..to be treated as if “more” than the average citizen, I don’t want abortion to be legal to full term…..thats murder. so, I don’t want to be forced to put in a heating solution that doesnt work in vt……..or an electric car I cant afford (the way things are going won’t be affording any car) the solution……..is to leave

  12. Abortion up to 9 months as an “OPTION”?? We have a completely SATANIC Gov’t in VT. If there is a medical emergency etc those types of abortions are already written into the law. (Mother’s life at risk etc) This is barbaric, there is no reason for this legislature. Talk about riddles of words…we need more young people bc the elderly #’s are exceeding the #’s of youth leaving? But let’s kill (dismember) 9 month olds so they can’t repopulate?

  13. The Vermont population trends are alarming. Gov. Scott fails to realize that the loss of children and labor force has been caused by the legalization of abortion. Over 100,000 babies have been aborted in Vermont since 1973. The babies aborted in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s never grew up to have children or grandchildren. And yet Gov. Scott supports abortion up to birth. Most people including people who claim to be pro-choice do not support abortions up to birth. Hopefully the voters of Vermont will vote NO on Prop 5 or Article 22 or whatever else the legislators and the Gov want to call it. Let the voters show that they do not support abortions up to birth.

  14. Vermont, over the past 15 years, as part of socialist, Dem/Prog, vote-buying

    has been decreasing and scaring-away, the tax-paying population.
    has been increasing and attracting the benefit-receiving population

    It would be much better to reduce the State Government expenditures by 5%/y for each of the next 10 years, by gradually sunsetting government programs.

    • Right On Willem… problem is not Vermont’s decreasing population so much as it is that it is increasingly being made up by people who think that gov’t owes them something.

  15. Governor warns population trends are affecting the tax burden in Vermont,
    now that’s news, apparently the Governor doesn’t realize that Vermont’s
    lack luster job market just might be so do to the tax burden on it’s citizens
    to fund foolish policies…………………..

    Also the Governor sides with the liberal abortion crowd, yup killing off any
    future Vermonter’s what a plan……………….. we deserve better !!

  16. Who want’s to reside in a Marxist chit hole when there are so many other places in a freer America. They will reap what they have sown, they created their utopia and the people up and leave it to them,as Maggie Thatcher said socialisms fine until you run out of others money.

  17. Wonder what the tax burden will be when all those illegal aliens arrive by the thousands. Welfare, schools, health care….all over loaded and paid for by YOU! Be sure to thank LEAHY, SANDERS, and WELCH. They have betrayed Vermont. They have betrayed America.

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