[{"_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":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6103884,"mediaKeyId","2792854-79296dd2c740b8094a2e57a114f43fdd","parentId",2792854,"title","City outlines April 8 balloting for council, library trustee and water district commissioner","audioSeconds",60,"startMs",952000,"endMs",1012000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2792854-79296dd2c740b8094a2e57a114f43fdd&start=952&end=1012","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2792854-79296dd2c740b8094a2e57a114f43fdd/thumbnail_952000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6103884/Essex-Junction-City/Chittenden-County/Vermont/City-outlines-April-8-balloting-for-council-library-trustee-and-water-district-commissioner","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6103884-99cffa9e2425ee3c8f42ba63faadb213/orig.mp4?Expires=1771207601&Signature=huUKyTO5J08yYkR7PY3G0b2bkgSrA1QkJ3SqUYjxzn51cqVtl8n9sytfC1IPy80a2V~mo1HwB033BjU0nqvhvUq~IiiZtYXZqZMIcNFKwJOIAYlU9e61QwrJIBl9fw5AIKz-y~L09FSgvYsyc5PYQN92lkq1G91~RQ7VreX6~CEjoh3Qr0nbd9rgXn7kvn6oBp2RqBWrIBbWRN5Hl8LWiIroVVFBP5edbeSE~NFP8HETKTklJnn3OSrtitqGbCD0ckbkyS1~EfKqfRLHl6fkVyG8Cy5iD9JFVk5iSXjk2mzOL3HxRfCpSy5ZUu35nazSjkvbbL6xQWpeJw5l-NVU6w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Essex Junction City, VT","date","2025-03-27T13:28:38.71Z","article","Moderator Steve Eustis read Article 3 at the informational meeting: Article 3 asks voters to elect one city council member for a three-year term, one library trustee for five years and one Champlain Water District commissioner for three years.

City staff explained ballots will be available and may be cast at the Champlain Valley Exposition on Tuesday, April 8. The clerk’s office also will provide ballots ahead of time; residents may vote at the city office parking area by the fire station and should contact the clerk with questions about logistics.

The item drew no further substantive debate at the meeting and will be decided by ballot on April 8.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Essex Junction City Council Informational Meeting - 3/25/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Officials explained how voters can cast ballots on April 8 for city council, library trustee and Champlain Water District commissioner seats and where to obtain early ballots.","taxTitle","Essex Junction City, Chittenden County, Vermont","taxId",68791,"location","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":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6103887,"Bond article would fund retrofits for three aging pump stations; West Street station cost-sharing noted",136,815000,951000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2792854-79296dd2c740b8094a2e57a114f43fdd&start=815&end=951","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2792854-79296dd2c740b8094a2e57a114f43fdd/thumbnail_815000.jpg","/articles/6103887/Essex-Junction-City/Chittenden-County/Vermont/Bond-article-would-fund-retrofits-for-three-aging-pump-stations-West-Street-station-cost-sharing-noted","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6103887-99e72ef3eea0fd1d55ca46512de2cf20/orig.mp4?Expires=1771207601&Signature=UcnQR52Ja5-rCrmUMY16U1BithlLTU2f5vgcu9UG77xtUfr1he81Do7G0mWpgiEku3qGxF3VtvTZaA6kasSV2Q7vZDXrkfx9PeKIh0VhPjgCuhlTj2URyQZZaKRVaWFXw2Uvv~EEF9CuMrRBxkfx6NyAhH3SIIEUOIfBoeOyWNWqH4QICZPMywhQYxcIvCszu576xQhOBhwGdMCaWD0iG4JIGZNtjiLL~NgyUJT~tKOeVXFJsYoNZESUQ8CLsheRc7aYZ21YHOicNiCGAStv~jWWSSvVD3sfEEQ04lcZvNAuZJ2JmjCI7vmd32RHMR8YpyUy1YNwuRfQGBFINENCig__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Moderator Steve Eustis read Article 2 at the informational meeting: “Shall the general obligation bonds or notes of the City of Essex Junction in an amount not to exceed $3,800,000 in aid, if any, be issued to finance the cost of retrofitting the 3 pump stations located on West Street, Maple Street, and River Street?”

Regina Mahoney, City Manager, said the three pump stations are nearing or past their expected service lives. She gave installation years for each: West Street in 1968, River Street in 1973 and Maple Street in 1973. Mahoney said the upgrades are intended to meet future demand and improve community safety.

Mahoney also said the West Street pump station is shared with the Town of Essex and that current flow through the station is about 70% Town of Essex and about 30% City of Essex Junction; the city’s portion of debt service is projected to follow that flow split, though she noted the ratio may change during the life of the debt.

No formal council action occurred at the meeting; Article 2 will be decided by ballot on April 8.","City staff described a ballot article to authorize up to $3.8 million in bonds to retrofit three aging pump stations; officials said the West Street station is shared with the Town of Essex and debt is projected to be cost-shared based on flow percentages.",{"_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":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6103892,"Essex Junction leaders preview $12.42 million general fund budget, outline tax impact",707,105000,812000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2792854-79296dd2c740b8094a2e57a114f43fdd&start=105&end=812","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2792854-79296dd2c740b8094a2e57a114f43fdd/thumbnail_105000.jpg","/articles/6103892/Essex-Junction-City/Chittenden-County/Vermont/Essex-Junction-leaders-preview-1242-million-general-fund-budget-outline-tax-impact","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6103892-cdd24e45824baafe4a3723077691e0d1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771207601&Signature=D~K~Pt9~VIcEAv4Y56zL4kMjFopSgXnhNgGEKTszCYpUtdupM509W2Bn7rGo8j-ojVo5GLMp71IleMQGdRa7qFg50TwnermQ-xba~FAvnOp-LI2U~oR6aZCvHlDE~fZK53u6GJPB-bkqesW5cVSocCRpuwLFIc4lTVQoXXUgFuMuarQgLSebgpDbNY2gntrGEYzttLKesDj1cf-3hEMUK-utye95TFoHOAHySxuuZtuPptqwcX8RRUi-o7PIbrKT0wk08GjCU-NWGzjXA6k3EJ0QAW5je1uLQNsVOq8l~ahBu6bbxojDhgqO-KNp1~VR27g1FckZMCmRChqlkk5Q8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At an informational meeting of the City of Essex Junction, Moderator Steve Eustis read Article 1: “Shall the voters approve an annual general fund budget in the amount of $12,419,241 for fiscal year 07/01/2025 to 06/30/2026, $11,405,931 of which is to be levied in taxes against the City?” Regina Mahoney, City Manager, then presented the budget overview and tax impacts.

Mahoney said the FY2026 general fund is a $415,000 increase, “and that is a 3% increase on the General Fund.” She described the proposed tax-rate change as a $0.012 increase that would raise the tax bill by about $73 for a $280,000 assessed-value home — a 2.6% change versus FY2025 — and noted that the slide shown to the public isolates the general fund for this ballot item while enterprise utility rates will be adopted separately by council this spring.

The presentation said public safety (police, fire and Essex Rescue) is the largest share of the general fund. On the revenue side, Mahoney described that roughly 75% of general-fund revenue comes from residential property taxes, 11% from city businesses, 8% from miscellaneous fees and 6% from GlobalFoundries. She also noted the administration is proposing a new stormwater utility that requires a separate public hearing scheduled for April 9.

Members of the public questioned specific budget allocations. George Dunbar, a resident, focused on recreation accounting and administration costs, saying in part: “In the general fund we have $780,000 administering an operating budget of $360,000. And on the enterprise side we have $100,000 administrating a $4,000,000 operating budget.” He asked whether more administration costs could be shifted from the general fund to program/enterprise funds to reduce the city tax rate.

Regina Mahoney responded that some costs have been moved to program funds in recent cycles — citing costs for Park Street School as an example — and that not all recreation activities are fee-based or tied to a program fund. Brad Luck, a staff member, said categorization drives much of the apparent difference and that many administrative functions are already included inside individual program budgets: “When you're looking at the licensed childcare budget or the preschool budget or the recreation programs budget, there's actually admin that's built into those.” He added that the general fund carries core overhead for a recreation department and that staff have been working with finance and the manager to “right size” the department.

The meeting was informational only; the council will not vote on the budget at the session. The city reiterated that voters will decide Article 1 by ballot on Tuesday, April 8. Questions about balloting logistics were directed to the clerk.","At an informational meeting, city staff presented a proposed FY2026 general fund budget of $12,419,241 and described an estimated tax-rate increase and program-area breakdown; residents questioned how recreation administration costs are allocated between the general fund and enterprise/program funds.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City outlines April 8 balloting for council, library trustee and water district commissioner

Bond article would fund retrofits for three aging pump stations; West Street station cost-sharing noted

Essex Junction leaders preview $12.42 million general fund budget, outline tax impact