[{"_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",6057853,"mediaKeyId","3299720-5f1160ff7621e1e8a540c08e05ad8a29","parentId",3299720,"title","Committee reviews H.504 charter amendments including taxes for fire, police equipment and purchasing changes","audioSeconds",488,"startMs",78000,"endMs",566000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3299720-5f1160ff7621e1e8a540c08e05ad8a29&start=78&end=566","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3299720-5f1160ff7621e1e8a540c08e05ad8a29/thumbnail_78000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6057853/Vermont/Committee-reviews-H504-charter-amendments-including-taxes-for-fire-police-equipment-and-purchasing-changes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6057853-3c77e345abee029c23fa16f02aa7d37c/orig.mp4?Expires=1773725088&Signature=FeUZIe3rNAJUBK4IWc2LxKbZfLaK2bAgho675xWgRg1OJQGjWu2IoXKvQivJT7Qr1~2h4Nzwsix2ZZqp8c0CTi2RtoRX04BMs105WrNe0B7ui4Rft4nSBDFhguNDk3TE5GCi396PdkYrc5JZaOQKNj1CYsbYurAnIIpT75I4N4cxxTVzNe0VbMJD78T2-IYnzdk4oSiBXOW9ubrCHRFAFagWO6D4O6ub~QROFwN~PmL6CnJ~S02RnHX5xaw0J5zPmjfG8Rbdg9KGTr6PaEb1OpVAapm-lQ0twStqyA1CvkAOdxcx9XH24maOOxv9waovV1eU9-HivEH7EPDzd2morg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-14T18:30:11Z","article","The Vermont Senate Government Operations Committee on Wednesday reviewed draft language in H.504 that would amend a city charter to set new minimums for equipment taxes, change how ordinance fines are referenced, and alter several administrative provisions.

Legislative counsel Tucker Anderson told the committee the bill combines two charter amendments approved by voters into a single bill and would, among other changes, cross‑reference state law on ordinance penalties and raise or add fixed grand‑list taxes for equipment replacement. “Section 2 amends the city charter,” Anderson said, describing the package of changes the committee was considering.

Why it matters: The changes lock in a floor for dedicated grand‑list taxes for equipment replacement rather than leaving the baseline entirely to annual budgets. That shifts the mechanics of how the city guarantees funding for fire and police vehicle replacement, while still permitting voter approval of higher amounts.

The bill would replace a charterized, fixed fine with a cross‑reference to 24 V.S.A. § 1974, which Anderson said allows ordinance penalties up to $800. In the charter’s tax provisions, H.504 would raise the grand‑list tax for replacement fire equipment from a base of 0.0175 on the dollar to 0.0225. A new subdivision would create a separate tax for replacement police equipment, capped at 0.018 on the dollar unless a larger sum is later approved by voters in a meeting warrant.

Mayor Mike Dunches joined the hearing and explained the practical difference between the two equipment lines: “We have six fire trucks, and each one to replace at this point would cost a million dollars. We have eight police vehicles, and each one to replace would cost a million five thousand,” he said, describing why the proposed charter figures differ.

The committee also heard that H.504 removes a numeric dollar threshold that currently sits in the charter for when a municipal purchasing policy triggers formal bidding. Under the proposal, rather than a $3,000 charter trigger requiring bids, the charter would defer to the state’s purchasing policy for that threshold.

On governance details, the draft updates language for a city redevelopment authority. The proposed subdivision spells out membership (including the city treasurer, a mayor‑appointed city resident slate, and one property‑owner member who need not live in the city but must reside in the county) and establishes staggered three‑year terms with transitional language taking effect on a specified April 1. Anderson described those as transitional provisions intended to stage future staggered terms.

Committee members asked about the legal effect of setting tax floors in a charter rather than leaving those line items entirely to annual budgets. Anderson described the practical effect: the charter sets a base amount for those purposes (a floor), while higher budgeted amounts could still be approved through the normal budget and voter‑approval process.

No formal committee vote was taken during the session. Anderson said some technical drafting corrections remain and that the committee likely would not vote the bill out the same day. The bill components discussed were described as taking effect on passage unless otherwise noted.

Ending: Committee members signaled continued review on technical fixes and transitional language. Anderson and the city’s witnesses said they would return with any requested clarifications in subsequent consideration.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Government Operations - 2025-05-14 - 2:30PM","oneSentenceSummary","The Vermont Senate Government Operations Committee on Wednesday reviewed draft H.504 language that would amend a city charter to raise dedicated grand‑list taxes for fire equipment, add a new police‑equipment tax, reference state law for ordinance penalties, and move a purchasing threshold out of the charter and into state policy.","taxTitle","Government Operations, SENATE, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",38232,"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},6057843,"Committee considers new reporting rules for self‑funded individuals and small entities; debate over $1,000 threshold",1001,2195000,3196000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3299720-5f1160ff7621e1e8a540c08e05ad8a29&start=2195&end=3196","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3299720-5f1160ff7621e1e8a540c08e05ad8a29/thumbnail_2195000.jpg","/articles/6057843/Vermont/Committee-considers-new-reporting-rules-for-selffunded-individuals-and-small-entities-debate-over-1000-threshold","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6057843-7d7dfac7406606ba6340570f7ec4923d/orig.mp4?Expires=1773725088&Signature=Rt1Yhca9YY5OkJBUvzKhaTCWSUQJ1zoNVUXGU7vUbrxpbXGawORSD6rEFTuCOkb2ZmszFMyVo3vp1eHEoVPFzLrQhzHUsW-RJN9~dhM~J1IMipk-aCs00yJEsy7MPrOaq872wQ0GHhmglU8q40n6TsEJQEqT~CUUVbUUuMlaW140Yq0~lLwsAM7~Wr7x10wmN3To8qV2Y372FwjTvqXNXfgrsEz20rqsgGWa2LGDinBVGzOeDJ8GXwOTuBLtQGJRAl0o9I5jmDxQpt7fltcv1ywXINVT-kHGha6e4-2vEOkApsitlga~Is1Eo0wD4-jR8x94ViCWMdbRI7-xsmBnkQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Government Operations Committee reviewed campaign‑finance changes in H.504 that would create a reporting category for “self‑funded persons acting alone” and require reporting if such persons make expenditures of $1,000 or more during an election cycle.

Legislative counsel Tim Devlin described the definitional revisions and said the term is intended to capture single individuals, corporations, labor organizations or other entities that spend independently to influence a public question or an election without coordination with candidates. Under the draft, any such entity that makes expenditures of $1,000 or more during a two‑year cycle would have to register and file reports: 30 days before an election, 10 days after, and two weeks after the election, Devlin said.

Senators pressed whether the $1,000 threshold should be lowered to $500 or aligned with candidate reporting thresholds. Some members said the public interest favours disclosure of smaller expenditures and parity between corporate and individual reporters; others warned that lower thresholds could create constitutional or enforcement problems. Committee members asked for testimony from the Attorney General’s office on the legal risk of lower thresholds.

Committee discussion repeatedly invoked Citizens United, the U.S. Supreme Court decision on campaign finance, and counsel and staff said disclosure rules remain permitted under current federal law even where contribution or expenditure limits are not. Staff noted the Attorney General’s office and enforcement units had advised $1,000 as a threshold that has survived past legal challenges; lowering it, they said, could increase litigation risk.

The Secretary of State’s office said its existing campaign‑finance system does not automatically assess or collect fines and that adding automated financial penalties would require system changes and staff time. The office did report modest recent increases in enforcement activity and said it could work with the Attorney General and clerks but that building automated fine assessment is a larger technical project.

Ending: Senators asked staff to request Attorney General testimony on constitutional and enforcement risk at lower thresholds and discussed whether to align thresholds for self‑funded persons with candidate reporting requirements.","Draft changes in H.504 would define and require reporting by a “self‑funded person acting alone” and require reporting of expenditures of $1,000 or more during an election cycle with defined post/pre‑election reporting windows; senators debated lowering the threshold and cited court precedent and enforcement costs.",{"_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},6057848,"Committee debates write‑in registration change, earlier justice‑of‑the‑peace deadlines and youth DMV registration",2500,806000,3306000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3299720-5f1160ff7621e1e8a540c08e05ad8a29&start=806&end=3306","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3299720-5f1160ff7621e1e8a540c08e05ad8a29/thumbnail_806000.jpg","/articles/6057848/Vermont/Committee-debates-writein-registration-change-earlier-justiceofthepeace-deadlines-and-youth-DMV-registration","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6057848-3b6030c204e67ac9fecaf4959b3dfc1c/orig.mp4?Expires=1773725088&Signature=jXc0dkH7I10scT2pr1TX9UAuLVnnHiPugRioVgiMTgrAhFUKWI4~rPG4OqB3F3lKhGjdQmtoQ2GdKm0HpMloGMc-RucaK7n-7QdPM0VMLxJfJkwaiq0ryfwxncYQWyimj-Q7mMwOu8teDo-7oAoR2UwN~x8PsudSyTXcinWLKTZoPYpZtLbhfz0zjukh~PHjRtKTAyOgLJkHAizJ-5mOPle6Zr9Jf5vwvAUEU0atGWF-uNOcOORb2MUMEYLh-7iP4xdLvAo~wH6qgRWzbcuXOrk~HVqp9YBqbvdKbJd64jLrid-Nfj~zgB7ljPzk8yfh7cawXtxg5k8X8NuLAp9jxQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Government Operations Committee reviewed election‑administration provisions that would change how write‑in votes are counted, move justice‑of‑the‑peace nomination deadlines earlier in the calendar, and discussed how the DMV’s voter‑registration process handles 16‑year‑olds.

Legislative counsel Tim Devlin described amendments in sections 9–12 that refine rules for write‑in candidates. Under the draft, a prospective write‑in generally must file a candidate form by the Thursday before a primary to have votes counted; the new language removes a prior “notwithstanding” phrase and allows exceptions in limited circumstances: if a named candidate on the ballot dies or if there are no names printed on the ballot, write‑in votes could be counted even without the form. Devlin said the change was based on a recommendation from the Secretary of State’s office and modeled on a Michigan statute.

The proposal drew substantive objections from several senators who warned the new language could create a scenario where a write‑in candidate receives the most votes but would not be declared the winner because they did not file the pre‑election form. “It’s really problematic to be creating a situation where someone could get the most votes and not win,” one senator said during floor discussion.

Deputy Secretary of State Lauren Hibbert and Sean Sheehan, the state elections director, told the committee they could not find past instances in Vermont where a write‑in beat a named candidate on the ballot. Hibbert explained the operational reason for the registration form: without a filed form clerks must count and evaluate every write‑in name to determine whether someone won, which is a large administrative burden on election night, especially in multi‑town districts where clerks do not share vote totals in real time.

Committee members asked whether the draft should be altered to avoid any perception that the person with the most votes might not be declared the winner; several senators proposed staff and the Secretary of State’s office return with alternative language or testimony from the Attorney General’s office.

On justices of the peace, the committee considered language moving the nomination/consent filing earlier in the year so clerks can proof the back of ballots and reduce errors before ballot printing. Devlin and elections staff said parties and clerks had been consulted and supported shifting independent nominations into alignment with party nominations, providing clerks an additional week to manage workload and catch spelling or entry errors.

The committee also discussed DMV‑based registration for 16‑year‑olds. Elections staff said the DMV process already creates pending registrations for minors who check the opt‑in; those records remain pending until the individual is of voting age and takes the voter oath. Clerks can see reports of pending registrants who will turn 18 and may do outreach; staff said the voter‑oath requirement distinguishes active registration for minors from active registration for adults.

Ending: Senators asked the Secretary of State’s office and the Attorney General for follow‑up on the write‑in language and asked clerks and staff to provide more concrete impact estimates and draft alternatives for committee consideration.","The committee considered changes to write‑in candidate registration that would limit automatic write‑in counting (unless a named candidate dies or there is no name on the ballot), align justice‑of‑the‑peace nomination timing to ease clerks’ workload, and discussed existing DMV‑based pending registration for 16‑year‑olds.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee reviews H.504 charter amendments including taxes for fire, police equipment and purchasing changes

Committee considers new reporting rules for self‑funded individuals and small entities; debate over $1,000 threshold

Committee debates write‑in registration change, earlier justice‑of‑the‑peace deadlines and youth DMV registration