State Ethics Commission asks Senate Appropriations for funding to add staff as powers expand

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 said the office handled 37 requests for guidance in the prior year and has already exceeded that number in the current year. She told the committee the office has seen "three or four requests a day" for ethics advice and that municipal complaints have risen to about a dozen so far this year.

"We have been severely understaffed for the last year and a half," Severin said, noting the workload is largely driven by municipal officials seeking training and confidential advice and by new online financial-disclosure filings. The commission developed an online municipal-ethics training module that has had "over a thousand people" take it and is averaging "over a hundred per week," she said.

TJ Jones, a consultant and professor at the University of Connecticut who has worked with the commission, told the committee the commission is at a stage where education and training are the highest-value investments. "The most valuable resources are those people who can help the education and the training function," Jones said, adding that enforcement is important but typically involves a small share of cases and requires a foundation of outreach and education.

Severin described three budget elements beyond personnel: an estimated $12,000 in additional indirect/operating costs for space and equipment, a request for contract investigative support to handle complex matters, and salary-related costs for the two requested positions. The commission said it expects to prioritize minor matters and resolution agreements internally while contracting or otherwise triaging more complex investigations.

Committee members asked about caseload comparisons and funding mechanisms. Severin compared Vermont to other states, noting Rhode Island's ethics office has a staff of 13 and handles training and investigations; Rhode Island reported roughly 33 complaints a year. Severin also said investigatory powers conferred by Act 171 take effect Sept. 1, and she warned the commission expects an increased wave of demand for services when state employees must retake training on the three-year cycle.

On funding, Severin said parts of the commission's budget have historically come from the human-resources internal service fund, which is supported by state agencies, but the two additional positions are being requested as general-fund items. She reported that the governor allowed Act 171 to take effect without signing, and her understanding from budget conversations was that the commission did not receive the requested staffing funding in the governor's recommended budget.

No formal vote or appropriation decision was taken in the committee hearing. Committee members asked follow-up questions and requested materials to better compare caseloads and costs with other agencies and states. The commission said it will provide further detail and expects investigatory powers to go into effect Sept. 1.

The commission's staffing request and the broader budget for FY2026 remain under consideration by the Appropriations Committee and the Legislature.