[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6347327,"mediaKeyId","2245594-cab716c90eedc5e56d2fecf40dbe2839","parentId",2245594,"title","Human Resources seeks $1.6M for classification/compensation overhaul and reports paid‑leave rollout","audioSeconds",342,"startMs",4024000,"endMs",4366000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2245594-cab716c90eedc5e56d2fecf40dbe2839&start=4024&end=4366","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2245594-cab716c90eedc5e56d2fecf40dbe2839/thumbnail_4024000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6347327/Vermont/Human-Resources-seeks-16M-for-classificationcompensation-overhaul-and-reports-paidleave-rollout","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6347327-8a812db3fb3babab5b42cc2ecca1001c/orig.mp4?Expires=1776192954&Signature=lgfuTR5qkI7aE-aVXKW~yqME99S2dKUHWIe0qcnkU6uUHI1UyrCQD2q6q43Uww8xpouggU5jYndOst5qJ9m2yLPGMud04Yk11flzO95tZ8qZGnBdUeurZb~vc1980LrP2IOxWYcCevijv3rOgn81wVs17GHPFCGF4NdQhjIl3Lt9weG4QrgS-XQqnJLlBH8SAj39OP9L4VavpPsoqzeCf0dgqD9NozRAKUs2yCVUGjbMqPx3RNqYl~C917z6OQsV0Htx09o27uGTLUEsMMU~PBe9Lf37WSj69Asx1iau6ToTFtp-wjQSsYL3FL1UCIwq2-dsWC2s8Y7N07fgrdYUQA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-02-06T18:27:23Z","article","Beth Fastyge, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Human Resources, told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Feb. 6 that DHR’s FY26 budget reflects personnel costs alongside major multi‑year modernization initiatives, including a proposed new classification and compensation project.

Fastyge said the department’s FY26 increase of about 9% is driven by salaries and benefits and a lower reliance on vacancy savings as positions added in recent years are filled. “We have 6 exempt staff and 104 classified,” she said, and noted DHR is implementing the paid family medical leave insurance program in three phases: state employees (effective July 1, 2023), employers (opened last summer) and individuals (planned this summer).

The nut graf: DHR’s top near‑term initiatives are the enterprise resource planning (ERP) rollout for VTHR (the HR/payroll replacement) and a proposed $1,575,000 appropriation for a multi‑year classification and compensation project designed to replace a decades‑old point/level system and reduce the volume of ad‑hoc reclassification requests.

Fastyge described the consultant project as a multi‑phased effort to develop a modern classification system, align compensation methodology and reduce the current inventory of about 1,800 job classifications (she said the department hopes to cut that total in half). She emphasized that any compensation changes would be subject to collective bargaining and that implementation could be phased to manage budgetary impact: “Sometimes they’re implemented over time because depending on what the budgetary impact is, you might not be able to absorb that in 1 year,” she said.

Committee members asked whether reclassifications would require bargaining and whether employees’ pay could be reduced under a new system; Fastyge said reductions would not be a policy goal and that increases would require negotiation and phased budgeting.

DHR also reported progress on the VTHR implementation and that the paid family medical leave vendor, the Hartford, has sold coverage to about 52 employers so far and individual take‑up is in the low hundreds among participating firms’ employees. The department said it expects the VTHR rollout to be a two‑year implementation and that the classification/compensation consulting contract would likely run 18–24 months with subsequent bargaining steps.

No committee action was taken during the presentation; senators requested follow‑up materials on projected classification cost scenarios and workforce statistics.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Appropriations – 2025-02-06– 1:00PM","oneSentenceSummary","Department of Human Resources Commissioner Beth Fastyge told the Appropriations Committee the DHR FY26 increase is primarily personnel-driven, highlighted the multi‑year enterprise HR/payroll replacement (VTHR) and proposed $1,575,000 for a new classification and compensation project to modernize the state’s decades‑old system.","taxTitle","Appropriations, SENATE, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",36948,"location","Vermont","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6347331,"Tax Department touts service gains and IT modernization while seeking reclassifications and staff funding",1146,2144000,3290000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2245594-cab716c90eedc5e56d2fecf40dbe2839&start=2144&end=3290","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2245594-cab716c90eedc5e56d2fecf40dbe2839/thumbnail_2144000.jpg","/articles/6347331/Vermont/Tax-Department-touts-service-gains-and-IT-modernization-while-seeking-reclassifications-and-staff-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6347331-2a53f33df7110ba58325d7d6b55cde58/orig.mp4?Expires=1776192954&Signature=LcPGM5FZQN6XyTKlTkSSRp-~7NEw89SCbA6XV2MktTgUoMAmDorqoni1v1YT6hinUK4HW9T8vNTfD-onk9Akr7bEcX3PbzqmqlII4HdOsIj5Wec2rkeVOlTyTlvgNe8iDyesJTCdBLlj8YE4kOq6s0djtxIfvL9CSCkjip6IaQutrnXTDYtFLeTtMz50tUaz7ewghUdVknm50IXry3QELtLSUot52KO6TPP7nOnw5siWHME007ic-nRRhYZPDP5RF5IQDrXsqrd1ous98KeqzH3dVoqqyE2E5I-ugrvHEBaK6RUtLeeMhfD8L--KDfesVDr43~JgYWPz2ctuwDXu8A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","An official representing the Vermont Department of Taxes briefed the Senate Appropriations Committee on Feb. 6 on the department’s FY26 operating priorities, performance outcomes and staffing needs, emphasizing improved customer service and several multi‑year IT projects.

The department’s leader (identified in testimony as commissioner) said the operating budget is about $37.2 million, with roughly 57% for salaries and benefits and 32% for IT. “When you pair talented people with strong modern IT systems, you can get a lot done in public service,” the commissioner said, noting the agency’s service metrics meet national standards for timeliness.

The nut graf: The department highlighted performance improvements — including issuing 97% of timely personal income tax refunds (a 45‑day benchmark), rapid phone response (average 1 minute 23 seconds in 2024) and faster processing of refundable credits — while seeking resources for major modernization projects and a planned classification re‑review for multiple front-line positions.

Officials said key 2024 and near‑term initiatives include implementing the childcare contribution tax, corporate and business income tax reforms, completing the statewide Vermont Property Information Exchange (VTPIE) property tax system, modernizing the department’s scanning system and rolling out a new phone system with improved taxpayer feedback capabilities. The department also is starting a modernization of the paper‑based current‑use land program.

The commissioner told senators the department expects a class‑wide request‑for‑reclassification (RFR) covering tax examiner and field auditor positions this summer, involving many positions historically not reclassified in recent years. The department estimates the reclassification work will raise ongoing salary and benefit baseline but does not expect it to trigger the legislative review threshold for single‑position cost increase (1% of salaries and benefits) because the changes will be spread across multiple positions.

Performance highlights presented to the committee included issuing 97% of personal income tax refunds by the June 1 target (45 days), completing homestead declarations two weeks ahead of deadline, and processing the vast majority of earned‑income tax credit and refundable claims within standard program timelines. The commissioner attributed much of the improvement to increased electronic filing and process reforms.

Senators asked clarifying questions about local option tax administration (the department charges a flat per‑filing administration fee) and the internal accounting of ups/downs in the budget book. Department staff offered to follow up with detailed workbook numbers.

No committee votes or formal actions occurred during the presentation; staff said they would provide supplemental materials and cost detail on class reclassification scenarios.","Tax Department leadership reported high performance on refunds and customer wait times, outlined major IT and modernization projects (property system, scanning, new phone system) and flagged a pending class‑wide reclassification review that could affect budget baseline.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6347336,"Attorney General asks appropriation committee to create two positions for restorative justice and expanded appellate work",536,1152000,1688000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2245594-cab716c90eedc5e56d2fecf40dbe2839&start=1152&end=1688","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2245594-cab716c90eedc5e56d2fecf40dbe2839/thumbnail_1152000.jpg","/articles/6347336/Vermont/Attorney-General-asks-appropriation-committee-to-create-two-positions-for-restorative-justice-and-expanded-appellate-work","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6347336-066a009ab0f5f2f7718e487eb5e63109/orig.mp4?Expires=1776192954&Signature=mNKCpubqESJM-3utX-mPmJFpGPM44d9GDb-q0RpNBYMtdZpQMahSWeFbqC8Yz3KkJIQnUgTHwEPUyS4li-OUysN7V1IiO5QAqt04JPe1dtAa2OliSwDePpRl53j8cTEHgh36MmolBbGof~CBxX9f0~OiulS0~vV86QkW547mA0FCbpz8iFbkDEYCFs6~eo3SIzsPiigrlbZcSJ-WTTvQz5D3l2oscpeMSL5SwJ9XbyZ~wcgn63njHLi2W4uVxcm5iefUie3zsMICLivTyKDKoX95RG44ZNUiyyzi4NgUsOrwoWAa1Nra1yyvWtRqV5iFaZFpcDYYWVjKUn-kINbOBQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Attorney General Charity Clark told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Feb. 6 that the Office of the Attorney General is requesting creation of two positions through a budget adjustment request so the office can implement a recently enacted restorative‑justice statute and expand its appellate capacity.

Clark said the first request is to create a position needed to “stand up” the Act 180 precharge program, which will make pretrial restorative options available statewide. “At this point in time, we have the funding. We just need the position created,” Clark said, adding the program will extend precharge restorative services to counties that previously lacked them.

The nut graf: Clark said the office already has or will have the money allocated for the precharge program but needs the classified/exempt position created through the BAA before it can advertise and hire the staff necessary to implement the statute statewide.

Clark described a second BAA request for an additional appellate attorney in the office’s small appellate unit (currently two lawyers and one paralegal). She said the unit’s workload has grown because the office is defending new and legally novel challenges to legislation in areas including environment, reproductive rights and firearms law, and because the office has joined multi‑state litigation against recent federal executive actions. “We’ve already sued twice and won twice,” Clark said, describing an intense workload that has required staff to work nights and weekends and to coordinate declarations and factual support with other state agencies and nonprofit partners.

Committee members asked for cost details. Clark said the BAA includes a three‑month funding request of about $50,000 to begin recruitment and fit‑up, and she provided an FY26 full‑year estimate for the position’s cost (salary and benefits) to be considered in the next fiscal‑year budget cycle. The committee emphasized that a short BAA appropriation can create a continuing base cost in future budgets.

Clark also noted that Act 180 will expand access geographically: “The precharge program was not available in all counties. With Act 180, it now will be available to all counties,” she said.

The committee did not vote on the requests during the hearing; senators asked technical questions about line items and BAA timing and signaled they would review the BAA materials on the committee webpage.","Attorney General Charity Clark asked the Senate Appropriations Committee to create one position to implement the precharge restorative‑justice program in Act 180 and a second permanent appellate attorney position to handle an uptick in novel litigation and multi‑state suits.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6347341,"Vermont Department of Libraries outlines FY26 services, federal grants and capital subawards",535,25000,560000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2245594-cab716c90eedc5e56d2fecf40dbe2839&start=25&end=560","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2245594-cab716c90eedc5e56d2fecf40dbe2839/thumbnail_25000.jpg","/articles/6347341/Vermont/Vermont-Department-of-Libraries-outlines-FY26-services-federal-grants-and-capital-subawards","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6347341-91e6c089dda7dcb9cac448095713936c/orig.mp4?Expires=1776192954&Signature=FUi94ME2CjzJEsaL6XatBQ3xxhnjX6tik-uPEu8kVzWjgTGgH8jIJ08uKj20jFC5rsrL5EyPuGPkoHC-lCQMVngGyb5wUzZ-3nx84eqqF5L5sexH18aKszImeEmzKwHJbNnr1ojhugrD87EH1J~p-XqCEDdMhC-Ni5T8H8SMsqWWMknllqY5L3MKhIJ7cLHmW-Oy4fkdVhbc38nG4afWIqMg2Q0i5bP6bb1yvh3qCdStkeXAzxqCmY~nSM7HyGA-2GMvB6k1k8CI7UFhnkPum4KuDTiis4t1ZJGHxJooOEzL0~CooMW8MZ69DrgReJa-PMZUnEEc-6bkij6a8Vw9-A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Catherine Zellnow, state librarian and commissioner of the Vermont Department of Libraries, told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Feb. 6 that the department’s FY26 request pairs state general funds with federal grant dollars to sustain statewide services and several one-time capital programs.

Zellnow said the department provides statewide digital resources including the Vermont Online Library and a new Udemy offering “with more than 20,000 instructional videos and classes,” and that those shared subscriptions produce cost savings compared with individual libraries contracting separately. “If those resources were not available, each school or academic institution in each public library would need to individually contract for those services,” Zellnow said.

The nut graf: The department’s operating budget request relies on a mix of state and federal funds — Zellnow said roughly 61% general funds and an anticipated 33% from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) — while two one-time federal grant streams will fund capital and connectivity work that do not appear on the department’s regular budget pages.

Zellnow described several regularly funded statewide services: an interlibrary loan courier network that connects 141 libraries and moved “close to 67,000 books” last year; a digital lending platform maintained as a core perpetual collection through the Palace Project app; and a talking-book network that serves blind and print-disabled Vermonters as part of the Library of Congress National Library Service network. She said the department also provides statutory services to incarcerated people in the state correctional facilities and reading materials for patients at state psychiatric facilities and the Vermont veterans’ home.

Zellnow outlined two one-time federal programs not shown in the department’s main budget pages: subawards from the U.S. Treasury’s Capital Projects Fund that were distributed last fall to 14 public libraries to increase high‑speed Internet access, and a planned subaward “later this calendar year” of $10,000,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to repair small rural libraries. Committee members asked for clarification about where those awards appear in state accounting; Zellnow said the capital projects funds are in a separate ARPA-related line and therefore not listed on the operating-budget document the committee was reviewing.

Committee members pressed for detail on revenue sources and variability. Zellnow cautioned that the federal IMLS allotment shown in the FY26 materials is an estimate: “The federal funding for fiscal, the federal funding that we would spend in state fiscal year 2026 is not the actual award amount at this time, so that could change,” she said, noting that Vermont’s most recent grants-to-states allocation (LSTA) in 2024 was $1,244,357.

She also described grant programs the department administers: a $90,000 appropriation supporting the Community Legal Information Program at Vermont Law School, grants that support summer reading programming, and grants to offset local participation in the courier network (the department funds half of one stop on the courier network for eligible libraries that apply).

Committee questions covered where special funds appear in the budget book (Zellnow pointed senators to page 15 for a breakdown of general, special and federal funds) and how vacancy savings and federal multi-year awards affect year-to-year comparisons. Zellnow said the department is working to align federal two‑year performance periods with single fiscal‑year spending so the FY26 numbers better reflect expected costs.

Zellnow closed by reiterating that much of the department’s core operations are sustained by a combination of general and federal funds and that federal awards remain subject to change: “We’re hopeful that that funding will be continued,” she said, “but at this point in time we do not yet have a firm grasp of our allocation.”

The committee did not take formal action during the presentation; members signaled they would follow up with technical questions after the hearing.","State Librarian Catherine Zellnow told the Senate Appropriations Committee the Department of Libraries is seeking general-fund support while managing significant federal grants that fund statewide digital resources, courier services and upcoming capital repairs to small rural libraries.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Human Resources seeks $1.6M for classification/compensation overhaul and reports paid‑leave rollout

Tax Department touts service gains and IT modernization while seeking reclassifications and staff funding

Attorney General asks appropriation committee to create two positions for restorative justice and expanded appellate work

Vermont Department of Libraries outlines FY26 services, federal grants and capital subawards