As Vermonters we carry one of the heaviest tax burdens in the country. And we don’t always feel like we get much for the money we send to Montpelier. We have bad bridges, a broken education funding formula, and a teetering health care system. We’re feeling all that in the Mad River Valley right now.
Why should we burden ourselves with another 1%? Well, because we need things. Basic stuff that the state and feds aren’t going to build for us – a town garage, a fire station, and a wastewater system. We have an obligation to our kids and neighbors to process our waste appropriately so we can enjoy a clean environment. These aren’t frivolous. “Wouldn’t it be nice to have” wish list stuff? These are fundamentals. Waitsfield is the only town of its size left in Vermont that doesn’t have a municipal wastewater system.
As a lifelong resident this is embarrassing to me. This system will allow for denser housing and be a step in the right direction toward more affordable housing and growth. It’s a win-win situation.
These things cost money. You can pay for them through your property taxes where the visitors and folks from other towns get to enjoy the benefits for free, or we can ask folks who consume our facilities and services to pitch in. The proposed Local Option Tax (LOT) would be funded up to 82% by visitors. Visitors to our town expect amenities.
Will visitors react negatively to a LOT? The fact that 38 other towns in Vermont have successful LOTS (and better facilities) proves that the majority of people will keep coming to Waitsfield if we vote to implement one. When you shop in Waterbury, Williston, Burlington, Barre City and Colchester you pay a LOT. That’s The Village Market, Walmart and COSTCO, folks.
The bottom line is we’d be bringing in $600,000 annually for local infrastructure improvements. Unlike the last proposal from 2020, that money would not be shared with the other Valley towns (but the benefits of the infrastructure would be). These improvements will keep things at the status quo in a worst-case scenario and help the Mad River Valley thrive in the best case.
We’ve seen from what’s happening on the national level that our local communities are going to be fending for themselves financially for the foreseeable future. It’s a good time to step up and plan for that future.
Jamieson lives in Waitsfield.
