Rep. Heidi E. Scheuermann

Following up on his State of the State Address the week before, in which he pronounced it “Vermont Strong,” Governor Peter Shumlin last week presented his Fiscal Year 2013 Budget, outlining his priorities for state funding for the upcoming year.

While the specifics will be analyzed in depth as the legislature examines all aspects of the proposal, there were items to note that were both positive and negative.

First, I commend the Governor for proposing an idea I have been proposing for three years - Supervisory Union consolidation.  It is clear the Governor agrees with me that we can both find savings in this reorganization and be able to offer greater choice and expanded opportunities to our children through it.  Rather than forcing schools to close and consolidate, a Supervisory Union consolidation will actually allow the schools to work more closely together and collaborate more in an effort to offer these expanded opportunities and greater choice.

It was disappointing, however, that he summarily discarded the very real concerns about the current education financing system.  Simply put, it is overly complex, overly burdensome, unfair, and completely unsustainable – an extremely flawed tax policy, to say the least.

More importantly, I do not believe the restructuring of the delivery system will work without a funding change.  Rather, the two must go hand in hand in order to accomplish the kind of transformation we are looking for.

As the idea of Supervisory Union consolidation moves forward, rest assured, I will continue to fight for funding reform as well.

To add insult to injury with regard to funding, Governor Shumlin built his FY 2013 budget on a change that he put into place last year that permanently reduced the General Fund transfer to the Education Fund by over $27 million.  So, while the Governor claims that there are no broad-based taxes being increased in his budget proposal, in fact this reduction in the transfer will have almost a three-cent impact on the statewide property tax rate.

On another note, I was pleased that Governor Shumlin emphasized the importance of the manufacturing industry in our state.   I have yet to hear the specifics of the proposal put forward, but as one who has long argued for greater attention to the industry and efforts to expand it in Vermont, I look forward to hearing more about it.

As part of this effort, I am hopeful the Administration will consider seriously proposals I put forward last year, and plan to again this year, to 1) create a Division of Manufacturing (with existing personnel) in the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, and 2) restructure our corporate income tax into a single sales factor.

Once again, I look forward to analyzing the details of the FY 2013 budget proposal to ensure it is a balanced budget that protects Vermont's most vulnerable while ensuring we invest in initiatives that will allow Vermont's private sector to grow and prosper.  I will be looking for a budget that is built on efficiencies and common sense spending, and not one built on tax and fee increases, including the property tax..

As always, I encourage you to contact me with any questions or concerns, and I will do my best to keep the people of Stowe and Lamoille County informed.  I can be reached at 253-2275 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  If you are interested in receiving my email newsletter that offers more information and analysis of the activities under the Golden Dome, please contact me.