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Travers wins council presidency in 7–2–3 vote; finance slate approved unanimously
Summary
At Burlington City Council organization day, Councilor Travers was elected council president after a contested vote with Councilor Carter Neubieser; the council also approved a three-member Board of Finance slate by voice vote.
Burlington City Council elected Councilor Travers as council president and approved a slate of councilors to the Board of Finance during the council’s organization day meeting.
Councilor Carter Neubieser, who represents Ward 1, and Councilor Travers were nominated for council president. Neubieser outlined a platform to reduce partisanship and increase bipartisanship through committee rules and more consistent public notice. "No resolution should appear on a council agenda without adequate opportunity for each caucus, the public, the media, and our neighborhood planning assemblies to substantively engage with it," Neubieser said. He also proposed consistent public-comment timing and committee reforms to encourage bipartisan work.
Following nominations, the clerk called roll for each candidate. The first roll call for Neubieser produced 5 ayes and 7 nays (Bergman, Broderick, Grant, Kane and Neubieser voted yes; Barlow, Carpenter, Litwin, McKnight, Schachter, Singh and Travers voted no), and that motion failed. The subsequent roll call for Travers produced 7 ayes, 2 nays and 3 abstentions (ayes: Barlow, Carpenter, Litwin, McKnight, Schachter, Singh and Travers; nays: Grant and Kane; abstentions: Bergman, Broderick and Neubieser). The council announced: "7 ayes, 2 nays, and 3 abstentions. And that motion passes. Congratulations, President Travers."
Earlier, Councilor Barlow nominated Travers for the presidency and praised his work running meetings and maintaining decorum. Councilor Bergman nominated Neubieser and recounted Neubieser’s record of outreach and collaboration.
The council then nominated a three-member slate for the Board of Finance (Councilors Barlow, Carpenter and Neubieser) on a motion by Councilor McKnight. The clerk led a voice vote; council members answered "aye," and the slate carried unanimously.
The meeting record reflects that organization day business concluded after those elections and the council adjourned to resume regular business on April 14.
