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State Ethics Commission asks Senate Appropriations for funding to add staff as powers expand
Summary
The Vermont State Ethics Commission told the Senate Appropriations Committee it needs two additional staff positions and modest operating funds to handle a rising caseload after passage of Act 171 and new municipal training and disclosure requirements.
Christina Severin, executive director of the State Ethics Commission, told the Vermont Senate Appropriations Committee on March 25 that the commission is seeking funding to add two positions and modest operating support to carry out recently added responsibilities. "We would ask for two additional staff people — one is a legal counsel position, and one is a staff attorney position," Severin said.
The request would fund basic salaries and operating costs on top of the commission's current baseline budget, which Severin described as about $223,000. The commission currently operates with one part-time executive director and one part-time executive assistant and has relied on a longtime consultant, TJ Jones, for legal and investigative expertise.
The committee heard that demand for the commission's services has increased sharply since passage of Act 171, which expanded financial-disclosure categories, added municipal ethics requirements and gave the commission investigatory and hearing powers. Severin…
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