[{"_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",6084600,"mediaKeyId","2910646-d55759a78623600e90d405a8dd3e6c3a","parentId",2910646,"title","Appropriations committee flags unfunded positions, housing and transport gaps during FY26 budget review","audioSeconds",2351,"startMs",1664000,"endMs",4015000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2910646-d55759a78623600e90d405a8dd3e6c3a&start=1664&end=4015","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2910646-d55759a78623600e90d405a8dd3e6c3a/thumbnail_1664000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6084600/Vermont/Appropriations-committee-flags-unfunded-positions-housing-and-transport-gaps-during-FY26-budget-review","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6084600-5185fb7a5d764dd2531190ddc1174ebb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152564&Signature=kVAa1oHQ9c5x4THEUOBWPdjk1c944ZK-S96wgvpdnbUIw4D~REPUIY5Tt-sW5fkM55sd5YX6YHggIc0qCtjtF8E6u2eRgUT3Wty0Jn9AV2l1F~wqmxxcJX66iWCRNpNCabNqj9dvGZ39Cz-J2ne6vGIy~o4Oq~MmdnS32AjxjNRfOIuXDI1eCN5xibTykVDj2-mq~MP-2g~Nb70dZhZD-HUK05fFvBdPZsHPB0t4SkGZ4J2gjkYEjb-FWyPaUS92wJTv9wPpPOsB9taESMWk-3sUE8KnHer7ur2G6bt05XVBV~nJSNjydPvAO6W2TRoDotRxICH5C7RKtPJqibgGJg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-04-09T12:08:37.517Z","article","Senate Appropriations Committee members spent the April 8 hearing reviewing large sections of the governor’s fiscal‑year 2026 budget and the House adjustments, identifying several programs and positions policymakers described as underfunded or cut. Committee members asked agency witnesses for more detail and left numerous items open for further testimony before making final decisions.

Why it matters: House changes and base‑vs‑one‑time distinctions affect whether agencies can staff and operate programs the Legislature authorized in recent sessions. Committee members singled out public‑safety and environmental roles tied to the Flood Safety Act, housing‑program staff capacity, Fish & Wildlife license and fund transfers, and transportation‑related needs such as medical transport support.

Key items flagged
- Flood Safety Act staffing: Committee members said the Flood Safety Act established about 50 new positions but the current budget includes funding for roughly 11 of them. Members emphasized dam safety, wetlands and river corridor roles as priorities and asked agencies to clarify which positions must be funded in base vs. one‑time appropriations.

- Land use review board and Act 250 modernization: Members flagged the need for more support staff for rulemaking and for the new Land Use Review Board as part of ongoing Act 250/modernization work.

- Fish & Wildlife funding: The committee discussed transfers and a one‑time supplement intended to support a new licensing structure and fund changes for Fish & Wildlife; staff said some transfers will appear in other sections of the budget and in dedicated funds.

- Economic development office in Montreal: The governor requested additional base funding for international business outreach. Committee members said the House removed the broader expansion but they heard that maintaining the Montreal office would require roughly $150,000 and urged staff to confirm exact costs.

- Manufactured homes and housing programs: The committee discussed a $2,000,000 program to fix up manufactured homes that the House left intact but reduced a $150,000 position request. The larger Vermont Housing Improvement Program (VHIP) was discussed as having a $4,000,000 component; the House cut some of the governor’s base funding. Members repeatedly raised capacity concerns: agencies reported small permanent staffs and asked for additional permanent positions to administer expanded programs.

- Rental and homeownership programs: The House reduced a $15,000,000 rental revolving loan request to $7.5 million; committee members said the rental revolving loan fund has been effective in producing units and asked housing agencies to prioritize between capital and operating requests.

- Transportation and medical transport: Committee members flagged losses in volunteer medical transport capacity since 2019 and discussed seeking funding for recruitment support for public transit and ride services that bill Medicaid; members said some of the proposed $1,000,000 could be used to shore up medical transport staffing and recruitment.

- Shelters and emergency housing: The committee discussed repeated one‑time shelter and emergency housing appropriations and left several shelter‑capacity and emergency housing items open pending more information from the Agency of Human Services.

Process and next steps
Committee members repeatedly left items “open” for follow‑up testimony, indicating a preference to gather more detail before finalizing base vs. one‑time decisions. The committee scheduled additional briefings (including an Agency of Human Services appearance) and asked agencies for written cost breakout and implementation language when the request involves creating or converting positions.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Appropriations – 2025-04-08 – 1:00PM","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Appropriations Committee members reviewed the governor’s FY26 budget and House adjustments on April 8, flagging unfunded positions from the Flood Safety Act, reduced housing program funding, transportation and medical‑transport shortfalls, and other items they left open for follow‑up.","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},6084605,"IDEAL Vermont asks committee to restore $220,000 for municipal equity program; House removed funding",380,1063000,1443000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2910646-d55759a78623600e90d405a8dd3e6c3a&start=1063&end=1443","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2910646-d55759a78623600e90d405a8dd3e6c3a/thumbnail_1063000.jpg","/articles/6084605/Vermont/IDEAL-Vermont-asks-committee-to-restore-220000-for-municipal-equity-program-House-removed-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6084605-eb76c0291a348d0549834db055034e9f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152564&Signature=NqDP685NBTpewGVJDjiiQgXSUIBLqeNTjVNAcwIa2ZqLPpTT8TjEjLffukZ6ptFcoSVHuTA0c5PRtUl9DPj0BU~o6K573aelyVWlRXbx8hl17GbQPPhpZFExgV~bNu41MZYwoIahqfdK1qxx4anAM1FAG8ani~vYi9AVFKdBHRWPTIN0k1oPdjvjLrkRHU-1xiqDGjYk-~hD8xCEgkpwe1RZ8MDytbDBvVDiijWcvtfa3bsp3iJ0D1hf3W6koM5ghTyPuKsJg9NBnQWMk~lTlQkdnnF9XV25rNc8T1uTWYzsxdQ9eZS5XEZyufVJnWseQQ3FZ39wfz5YnGUwVVkF8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Susana Davis, executive director of IDEAL Vermont, told the Senate Appropriations Committee on April 8 that the program known as IDEAL Vermont (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Action and Leadership) needs a $220,000 one‑time appropriation to continue a two‑year pilot that supports municipal leaders across the state.

IDEAL Vermont is run from the state office charged with equity and inclusion work; Davis said the program has a 14‑member cohort and provides training, technical assistance, speakers and a small grants fast‑track through the Vermont Community Foundation. “If we’re going to invest our time and our tax dollars into something, it should yield positive results,” Davis told the committee, and described the program as a peer learning community focused on tangible local actions.

Why it matters: Davis said much of the inequity residents experience is “hyper local” and that IDEAL Vermont connects municipal leaders to state resources, helps with warm handoffs to agencies and supports small, community‑driven projects. She cited the town of Glover as a concrete example: the town’s cohort work helped secure funding to build a sensory park that draws visitors from across the border.

Program scope and funding
Davis described IDEAL Vermont as primarily staffed with in‑house labor at the state equity office; the requested $220,000 would pay program administration and conference expenses over two years. She said the governor’s budget included funds originally intended for fiscal 2022 start‑up but that the House removed the appropriation this session. Davis said the program currently accepts self‑selecting municipal participants to avoid performative or superficial enrollment.

Partners and deliverables
IDEAL Vermont partners with the Vermont League of Cities and Towns and the Vermont Community Foundation; the latter offers a fast track for small grants to cohort members. Davis said the program’s annual conference, open to the public and held in October, has drawn national‑level speakers and positive feedback from participants.

Next steps
Davis offered to provide committee members with additional materials and testimony. The committee did not act on the appropriation at the hearing and left the item open for further consideration and follow‑up with the equity office.

","Susana Davis, executive director of IDEAL Vermont, told the Appropriations Committee the municipal‑level equity and inclusion cohort needs $220,000 to continue a two‑year pilot that serves 14 municipalities and provides technical assistance and a public conference.",{"_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},6084609,"Vermont Pension Investment Commission asks for $250,000 to start pay adjustments to retain investment staff",210,75000,285000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2910646-d55759a78623600e90d405a8dd3e6c3a&start=75&end=285","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2910646-d55759a78623600e90d405a8dd3e6c3a/thumbnail_75000.jpg","/articles/6084609/Vermont/Vermont-Pension-Investment-Commission-asks-for-250000-to-start-pay-adjustments-to-retain-investment-staff","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6084609-8b4cd28be4437c94f20527a92bc12b21/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152564&Signature=NJo2R0hvmfNi7jnh-PgoC2PAfhso8bZ2FcL6fF8c58v6QsBDBpLSD73VZLETyz15Ri3xviEzAzjWhCBoLwmghD5Pa5QDz5gIKJAd7g76r2b9WxWthY~GaT4X97gTDspmPdNE0zEpzCEqSUkAfgsBszqw4w1P42~K7OFpYVeGiZlqeKvmAJp5xf3~eBU2nP-Q6Y6d~5WYg31qSCQFjp0hlinZ~c83BvHFdCOuEDXQC8Dpcab2-aIwdz~PRn6XEelVZo2PcWcbsjrhkv7LbnvyXLZyVU8XAAhFny77Y3DE2s6taJumvo2adRvYpkGqIelIKvp8yNtgkGKNBwRHymzjhA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Vermont Pension Investment Commission asked the Senate Appropriations Committee on April 8 for a $250,000 one‑time appropriation and a 3 percent base increase as part of its fiscal‑year 2026 budget request to begin implementing a compensation plan intended to retain investment staff.

The request accompanies VPIC’s regular budget request and reflects recommendations from a 2022 Mercer commercial compensation study that the commission provided to the Legislature under Act 75 when VPIC was spun off from the treasurer’s office. Tom, a senior VPIC official who briefed the committee, said the $250,000 would cover roughly a quarter of the near‑term gap between current pay and the commission’s target for certain positions. “That $250,000 would be about a fourth of the gap in compensation between where staff currently is and moving us toward median,” he told members.

Why it matters: VPIC manages the state’s pension investments, which Tom said currently total “a little less than $7,000,000,000.” The commission reported investment returns of 10.29 percent for the last fiscal year and multi‑year performance above assumed benchmarks; the commission argued that retaining experienced investment staff is a material risk to future returns.

Details of the plan and committee questions
VPIC’s request is twofold: the standard 3 percent increase in operating funds and a supplemental $250,000 to begin implementing a phased pay plan that would, over several years, move key investment positions closer to the 50th percentile of market compensation. The Mercer study recommended a multi‑year approach; VPIC officials told the committee they plan to produce an implementation plan rather than commission another full market study. The commission also said it intends to reclassify two positions to exempt status to enable a market‑based executive pay plan.

Tom said the deputy chief investment officer is being actively recruited by peer pension plans and that the position’s current pay is “just over a hundred thousand dollars.” Committee discussion included VPIC’s estimate for bringing the deputy CIO nearer the median: an agency speaker estimated reaching roughly the mid‑$200,000s for that role over a multi‑year period if the plan proceeds.

Eric Henry, identified in testimony as VPIC’s chief investment officer, told the committee the commission’s recent returns compare favorably to peers. “The return numbers that Tom mentioned are all well above median,” Henry said, summarizing the commission’s investment performance since professional staffing was increased.

Committee members pressed on policy and optics. One member who said they work in academia voiced skepticism about raising public salaries to private‑market levels and asked whether performance‑based incentives had been considered. VPIC responded that Mercer had recommended consideration of pay‑at‑risk features but that the commission’s first step this year is to create an executive pay plan and begin closing the gap to market median without implementing incentive pay immediately.

Next steps
The committee did not take a vote during the hearing. Members asked for additional detail in a formal implementation plan and for updated benchmarking in the plan to reflect market moves since 2022. Staff and the commission agreed to follow up with the implementation plan and additional documentation for the committee’s further consideration.

","The Vermont Pension Investment Commission told the Senate Appropriations Committee it needs a $250,000 one‑time appropriation to begin implementing recommendations from a 2022 Mercer compensation study aimed at moving key investment staff toward market median pay to reduce turnover risk for the state pension fund.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Appropriations committee flags unfunded positions, housing and transport gaps during FY26 budget review

IDEAL Vermont asks committee to restore $220,000 for municipal equity program; House removed funding

Vermont Pension Investment Commission asks for $250,000 to start pay adjustments to retain investment staff