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State auditor urges rules, AG sign-off before expanding TIF; flags education‑fund risks
Summary
State Auditor Doug Hoffer told the House Ways & Means Committee that lawmakers should delay implementing TIF changes until administrative rules are adopted and Attorney General guidance is obtained.
State Auditor Doug Hoffer told the House Ways & Means Committee that lawmakers should delay implementation of changes to the state's Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program until administrative rules are adopted and clarified.
Hoffer said ambiguity in statute and uneven definitions -- notably of what counts as an "improvement" -- leave critical decisions to agency staff and can amount to delegating authority to unelected officials. He urged requiring formal Attorney General review for statutory interpretation and said his office has repeatedly had to seek AG opinions to complete audits.
Why it matters: Hoffer said TIF's interactions with Vermont's Education Fund ("Ed Fund") already reduce revenue flows that would otherwise support…
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