[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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],{"_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",6318356,"mediaKeyId","2366936-38e8ad1644643ca6c0cb8763dd73903a","parentId",2366936,"title","Vermont Veterans Home presents 'all‑in' budget and warns staffing, waiver and occupancy risks","audioSeconds",1677,"startMs",2289000,"endMs",3966000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2366936-38e8ad1644643ca6c0cb8763dd73903a&start=2289&end=3966","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2366936-38e8ad1644643ca6c0cb8763dd73903a/thumbnail_2289000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6318356/Vermont/Vermont-Veterans-Home-presents-allin-budget-and-warns-staffing-waiver-and-occupancy-risks","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6318356-f28d6b7ebb868f23278439fafeeed5bd/orig.mp4?Expires=1775518794&Signature=mcjj79uBjztt4URtdW2QCEMhhHl36Uvh~unUEEyOXoydYxFUu4KlByW04qPUl757Wwz4-jlEGHRvB9u~EaW8OG0Uj5Ti0Cxf60LN0w2-C7MehoV8RqSRlyUGaKwj1BT8H7~lMIyGSQOgmCu7dcJFbJtz2MY1mTKCIdSk4VAV8QZh~srvtTA1xMo0MBvT0e8I3R-Fs8uBNdF~it9yj2RkSm-FCxJpKHH6jPjU3Gd2tFLkZJi48iW-UrsNuAks4s~Ii5dylFfUtXYVoIUSiJVb-UVbvcQfG2uIsz0Wub-kTu5YWj360-aG1T-hMZ82aioLrHrq5tYwYkLF1zZAEG8SoQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-02-20T18:50:09Z","article","Melissa Jackson, chief executive officer of the Vermont Veterans Home, and senior staff briefed the House Appropriations Committee on the home’s FY 2026 budget request and operational challenges.

Jackson opened with the home’s mission: “We are here to fulfill the promise, taking care of Vermont's veterans, their spouses, and gold star parents.” She said the home is a state agency with state employees and collective bargaining obligations, and that it receives two kinds of federal Veterans Affairs payments (a daily basic per diem and a service‑connected full cost of care reimbursement) in addition to Medicaid, Medicare and private pay revenues.

Finance Director Steve McClafferty and Jackson outlined the home’s revenue assumptions. They said anticipated VA stipend revenue for FY 2026 is roughly $2.607 million, the domiciliary (residential) stipend about $136,000, and VA service‑connected reimbursement roughly $4.8 million (these are average‑per‑day revenue streams aggregated into annual estimates). Jackson and McClafferty said the home has moved to present an “all‑in” budget for FY 2026 — a single, comprehensive request that includes items previously handled in later budget adjustments. The presentation listed a FY 2026 general fund request of $10,033,214, which they said represents about 32.4% of the home’s expenses.

Staffing and occupancy issues were a central topic. Jackson said 30 beds are offline for a combination of staffing shortages and life‑safety issues in one unit; the unit was taken offline because management could not staff it safely. Committee members were told the home maintains a waiting list — one committee member cited a reported count of 62 people waiting for admission — and that bringing the offline beds back into service would likely generate demand from the waiting list.

The presenters described reliance on agency/temporary staff as a major cost driver. McClafferty noted typical hourly pay differences the home faces: a state RN position averages about $48 per hour while agency/traveling LPNs can cost about $76 per hour. Jackson and McClafferty emphasized that continued reliance on expensive temporary staff would increase deficits.

On reimbursement policy, Jackson and staff described a Medicare/Medicaid waiver process the state uses to obtain full‑cost reimbursement for eligible residents at the Veterans Home. They said the home receives an interim Medicaid reimbursement rate (an example figure cited was $475 per day) and noted prior recoupments that increased effective reimbursement (a cited figure was about $700 per day for recent recoupments). The home said it is monitoring federal policy changes and waiver approvals closely but had not been notified of an imminent loss of waiver eligibility.

Jackson highlighted successful local workforce efforts: the home held two recent LNA classes with passing students and plans another course in summer; most recent graduates applied for positions at the home. The board’s president, Gary DeGasta, described the governing board as a 21‑member body appointed by the governor responsible for fiduciary oversight and property ownership; he urged the legislature to treat the home’s “all‑in” budget as comprehensive if it is adopted.

The presenters did not ask the committee to act immediately beyond reviewing the FY 2026 request, but they asked members to consider the structural nature of the home’s request and the operational implications of staffing, waiver reimbursement and the board’s property and governance role.

Ending: State veterans home leaders said the FY 2026 all‑in budget aims to reflect total operating needs but flagged staffing shortfalls, offline beds, and federal waiver and reimbursement risks as variables that could materially affect the home’s finances and capacity.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Appropriations - 2025-02-20 - 1:45PM","oneSentenceSummary","Vermont Veterans Home leaders told the House Appropriations Committee they submitted an “all‑in” FY 2026 budget, detailed VA reimbursement streams, reported 30 beds offline due to staffing and life‑safety issues, and warned projected costs and waiver policy changes could affect finances if federal reimbursement or staffing conditions change.","taxTitle","Appropriations, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",30573,"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},6318360,"New Land Use Review Board outlines expanded duties, staffing and digital records needs",1186,882000,2068000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2366936-38e8ad1644643ca6c0cb8763dd73903a&start=882&end=2068","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2366936-38e8ad1644643ca6c0cb8763dd73903a/thumbnail_882000.jpg","/articles/6318360/Vermont/New-Land-Use-Review-Board-outlines-expanded-duties-staffing-and-digital-records-needs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6318360-0a66b54fbf34387a6eaa9cd550b1c76d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775518794&Signature=m7ZuFYQSGqJBs~ULQYBfudUpxxIV2vt-fj4esLQtf8EeRpVQXJ3ErDbGgE38awVIEMwTG-Je~ywIO8VMw7YCMfUUIBebUKP9a0Fv1Vzq1Yx5FcPYAgbDWMVo-7jMXBcGrAIqHWrOzdBTODe32i3au8kddeFsYfgHrsJuDg~T4Dta2zFNMTxeabS1oOGH4fW0EIlzoOnLiEo5Xvp9LCoImLmGDWhDaOUYPu9Nw4ZCxsM3byHa2KXvhg9nJ8Cmlvyyz0doQXBNSiXOToAkEJzP1qMqnu2oc3ebyLg4L34Jqj3qHRbQH2ordaShQkl6waBBDkEYLS3L-CnkIqMnLcoOjw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pete Gill, executive director of the Land Use Review Board, joined Chair Janet Hurley and business director Rachel Lomonico to present the board’s FY 2026 budget highlights and operational priorities to the House Appropriations Committee.

Gill summarized the board’s new responsibilities under Act 181, saying the board “is responsible for the Act 250 permitting process, for subdivision and development permits throughout the state,” and explained that the agency is transitioning from a part‑time volunteer model to a full‑time professional board.

The presenters said LURB currently issues roughly 350–400 land use permits per year and supports nine regional districts with volunteer district commissions. The change to a full‑time board and expanded duties has driven a structural budget increase; Gill said the FY 2026 total budget is approximately $5.3 million and that permit fee revenue is expected to decline because some downtown areas will be Tier 1A and exempt from Act 250 permitting.

Gill and Lomonico highlighted two sets of budget items not included in the governor’s recommended spending: two limited‑service, ARPA‑funded district coordinator positions and expanded digital records and mapping infrastructure. Lomonico said the district coordinators have been “a phenomenal resource” and described one coordinator moving temporarily into a board position to maintain services in a northeast district after staffing changes. Gill asked the committee to consider funding the two district coordinator positions through FY 2029 to align with an implementation study due under Act 181.

The presenters also described a scanning project for historic Act 250 permit records in two district offices (District 4 — Chittenden County — and District 7 — the Northeast Kingdom). Lomonico said records are being digitized and the project has been helpful for public access and office space reduction; she said the work has been fully obligated and another shipment of records would go out by the end of the month.

On technology needs, Gill said the board seeks funds to expand an existing Act 250 permitting database so it can accept regional plans, future land use maps and Tier 1A applications, and host a public‑facing online atlas. He said the Agency of Digital Services is collaborating on an estimate and that the board plans to build on existing infrastructure. Committee members questioned whether the $100,000 estimate from ADS was final; Gill said ADS was finalizing the number and the estimate was based on prior projects.

Committee members asked about timing: the new LURB has been fully operational since Jan. 27, the presenters said, and the board is still standing up operations and training volunteer commissions on new open‑meetings and review requirements.

The presenters did not request immediate action from the committee during the hearing. They asked the Appropriations Committee to consider funding the two ARPA‑funded district coordinators beyond their current limited period and to fund digital infrastructure to support new statutory duties.

Ending: The Land Use Review Board’s appearance emphasized operational and technology investments needed to implement Act 181, continued reliance on district coordinators to maintain permitting services and a multi‑year scanning project to preserve and publish historic Act 250 records.","The newly constituted Land Use Review Board (LURB) briefed the House Appropriations Committee on its FY 2026 budget needs, including requests to continue two ARPA‑funded district coordinator positions, funds for digital infrastructure and a records‑scanning project to make Act 250 records public.",{"_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},6318365,"House Appropriations members hear primer on tobacco settlement fund and its shrinking balance",426,2000,428000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2366936-38e8ad1644643ca6c0cb8763dd73903a&start=2&end=428","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2366936-38e8ad1644643ca6c0cb8763dd73903a/thumbnail_2000.jpg","/articles/6318365/Vermont/House-Appropriations-members-hear-primer-on-tobacco-settlement-fund-and-its-shrinking-balance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6318365-16f2486825ef4c5b1f5569eb1539d1f2/orig.mp4?Expires=1775518794&Signature=eRXEAbpZHAd5JbSRRfVjs4WJ2ptwJ06NA58HJO60crGVepsPhwOSoASd63YmVdbzP39aR84C3IOliFGUUbVqYjPd0cPLesrefNEl~Gt7jYU4HHx7U1je7IO0d2J2CLOda36WJsmPsWlzjAt3OSsfWqk3V73I3OI4YPYPrt3rhU8eErYw2N990kl4SI2nEvkDd5WIgQwv91y9XY4LnA4OlEBgvkKu5gCNSqnHatO8ybqkiph8ykRWbWGTt96ZkVOqjnCQI04brqEvxftZrF8mOvYZ72rdz~CK3E-qDB2gnXA0eMcSD4xOBhAiSCzlD--GTRGjJX-HpmsVOAh1slwq8Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Emily Byrne, a policy analyst with the Joint Fiscal Office, briefed the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday on the sources, recent uses and projected balance of the state’s Tobacco Settlement Fund.

Byrne told the committee the fund’s main revenue source is the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between tobacco manufacturers and states, and that Vermont receives a fixed share of the national payments: “the tobacco settlement fund, it’s sort of main source of revenue comes from the master settlement agreement that was agreed to by 52 States and territories, in 1998 with the tobacco companies,” she said. Byrne said that Vermont’s share has generally been near $20 million in recent years but is forecast to fall over time.

The presentation laid out recent balances and appropriations. Byrne said the fund received about $24 million from the national settlement in fiscal 2024 and carried forward roughly $16 million in prior balances, producing about $41 million available. Most of the fund’s appropriations flow to the Global Commitment Fund to match federal Medicaid dollars; other appropriations include prevention and program support designated under earlier laws. Byrne described a 2018 one‑time payment tied to litigation settlements that funded multi‑year appropriations often referred to in the meeting as the “CHINS money” (Act 11 appropriations).

By Byrne’s figures, FY 2024 appropriations totaled about $25 million, leaving roughly $15.4 million in the fund at the end of FY 2024. For FY 2025, the budget assumed a roughly $20 million settlement payment; with appropriations near $28 million, Byrne said the projected fund balance at the end of FY 2025 was about $7.3 million. She said that some of that carries forward as one‑time money that has been used to smooth appropriations in subsequent years.

Looking ahead, Byrne walked the committee through FY 2026 and FY 2027 projections. She said FY 2026 projections include roughly $18 million from the settlement plus prior balances, leaving an expected end‑of‑year balance of about $1.4 million. For FY 2027 she said projected receipts and carry‑forward would be about $18.6 million against roughly $24 million in assumed appropriations, which would produce a projected shortfall of about $5.8 million unless appropriations or revenues change.

Byrne emphasized that some appropriations are effectively obligated for multi‑year programs: money from the 2018 Act 11 appropriation was described as committed to those program purposes until the legislature changes that law. She also noted that the Attorney General’s Office manages the state’s participation in the Master Settlement Agreement and can provide additional legal detail about how payments are calculated and distributed.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about which programs receive the fund’s dollars and about the timing of receipts and obligations. Byrne said she would refer specific program line‑item questions (for example, education‑related uses) to the Attorney General’s Office and the responsible agencies.

The committee did not take formal action during the presentation; the briefing was intended to inform members preparing for budget decisions.

Ending: The Joint Fiscal Office’s overview framed the Tobacco Settlement Fund as a steadily declining revenue source under current appropriation and receipt assumptions. Committee members were left with follow‑up items: confirm program line‑item recipients of tobacco funds and consider whether to adjust appropriations or identify alternative funding to avoid a FY 2027 shortfall.","Emily Byrne of the Joint Fiscal Office told the House Appropriations Committee that Vermont’s Tobacco Settlement Fund is increasingly reliant on prior one‑time payments and that projected annual settlement receipts will not cover current appropriations beyond FY 2026 without changes.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Vermont Veterans Home presents 'all‑in' budget and warns staffing, waiver and occupancy risks

New Land Use Review Board outlines expanded duties, staffing and digital records needs

House Appropriations members hear primer on tobacco settlement fund and its shrinking balance