Appropriations committee narrows budget adjustment; General Assistance and key housing funding left open

Members of the Appropriations Committee met Feb. 13 to reconcile the governor’s proposed budget adjustment with changes adopted by the Vermont House, closing most base adjustments and transfer items while leaving several high-profile allocations open for further review.

Committee members said they were comfortable closing the majority of the “base” adjustments and the single-agency (SLA) date- and cost-related updates, including a small update to court-ordered violent mental-health evaluations and an agreed increase in operating costs for sheriff and county attorneys. They additionally agreed preliminarily to the governor’s revisions that rename and refocus certain provider payments, including a move of substance-use funding into a provider-stabilization account that committee staff described as expanded in eligibility and funding.

The committee reserved judgment on multiple one-time changes tied to housing and General Assistance (GA). The House reallocated a $14.0 million bond-redemption payment so the money would be spent on three items instead of being…