Hello Neighbors,
In a few days, the Tax Commissioner is going to release a letter called “the Dec. 1 letter.” This letter communicates what the administration expects will be our average statewide property tax next year, based on:
Expected revenues
Expected property values
The budgets school boards are proposing to local voters
Other currently existing costs in the education fund
Any funding gap created by decisions the prior year
Why will this tax rate estimate be high? As school boards build their budgets, all the fundamentals that drove high spending last year are still in place. These increases include cost pressures boards cannot fix on their own, including:
Double-digit increases in healthcare premiums (Last year, increases in teacher healthcare and mental health costs drove total spending up about $100 million, or ten cents on the tax rate.)
Our extraordinary shortage of housing paired with our aging population means we have fewer school-aged children. Fewer kids mean higher costs per kid to maintain our same basic programs.
School districts are responsible for more social services, including an unprecedented number of unhoused children this year. It is unclear how much upward pressure this will put on school budgets, and whether this is the most efficient and effective way to address child poverty.
We need a new funding formula that appropriately directs resources to make sure every district has what it needs to educate its children.
I am reaching out to let you know this letter is coming. I expect it to predict an increase in property tax rates that are unacceptable. This concerns me, as I know it concerns you. Between high housing costs, high healthcare cost, and high costs of living, far too many families are very concerned about paying their bills.
I will be working to make sure every child has the opportunities they need at a price taxpayers can afford. That may mean we have to do a few things differently. I believe all options should be on the table. I am open to some hard tradeoffs to protect what we care about most for our children while protecting people from cost increases they cannot afford.
I appreciate those of you who shared your concerns and priorities over the last couple of months. I will bring your hopes and concerns to our conversations in the legislature. I have great faith in Vermonter's ability to work together and compromise to solve hard problems, once we put our minds to it.
Gayle Pezzo
State Representative Elect - CHI 20 Colchester
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