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Agency requests one‑time funds for municipal assistance, truth and reconciliation, and municipal equity program
Summary
The Agency of Administration identified three one‑time general‑fund requests in its FY2026 secretary's office budget: $220,000 for the Ideal Vermont municipal equity partnership program, $1.1 million to fund the Truth and Reconciliation Commission through FY2026, and $3 million for the Municipal Technical Assistance Program (MTAP).
The Agency of Administration told the House Appropriations Committee on Feb. 11 that the secretary’s office FY2026 request includes three one‑time general‑fund items aimed at municipalities and a statewide commission.
Nick Bramer, chief operations officer, said the FY2026 request includes $220,000 to continue the Ideal Vermont program, which pairs Office of Racial Equity staff with municipal leaders to help communities advance local equity initiatives. He described the program as application‑based and focused on providing sustained, hands‑on support to participating municipalities.
The agency also proposed $1.1 million in one‑time funding to support the Truth and Reconciliation Commission through the end of FY2026. Bramer said the commission is gathering statewide testimony and producing a report of recommendations; the funding would support the commission’s staff and work through the current fiscal year.
Finally, Bramer described a $3 million request for the Municipal Technical Assistance Program (MTAP), which provides planning, administrative and grant‑application support to towns and cities. Bramer said MTAP had initially been created to assist with ARPA and pandemic‑related federal funds and has since evolved to help municipalities access FEMA and other recovery and infrastructure grants. He noted some of that MTAP funding flows through regional planning commissions, the League of Cities and Towns, and the Vermont Council on Rural Development.
Why it matters: these one‑time funds are intended to increase municipal capacity to pursue grants and implement equity and recovery initiatives; municipalities with limited staff capacity often rely on regional partners for application and project support.
The committee did not act on these requests during the hearing; members said they would follow up with agency staff as needed.
