Warning & Notice Burlington 2022 Annual City Meeting 

The legal voters of the City of Burlington, Vermont are hereby warned and notified to come and vote at the Annual City Meeting on Tuesday, the 1st day of March, 2022 between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. in their respective wards, at the voting places hereinafter named and designated as polling places, viz:

Ward One/East District: Mater Christi School, 100 Mansfield Ave.

Ward Two/Central District: H.O. Wheeler School (Integrated Arts Academy), 6 Archibald St.

Ward Three/Central District: Lawrence Barnes School (Sustainability Academy), 123 North St.

Ward Four/North District: Saint Mark's Youth Center, 1271 North Ave.

Ward Five/South District: Burlington Electric Department, 585 Pine St.

Ward Six/South District: Edmunds Middle School, 275 Main St.

Ward Seven/North District: Robert Miller Community & Recreation Center, 130 Gosse Ct.

Ward Eight/East District: Fletcher Free Library, 235 College St.

The polls open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m. for the purpose of electing certain city officers as follows:

WARD ONE/EAST DISTRICT – one Ward One City Councilor for two-year term; one Ward One School Commissioner for two-year term; one Ward One Inspector of Election for three-year term; all terms beginning April 4, 2022

WARD TWO/CENTRAL DISTRICT – one Ward Two City Councilor for two-year term; one Ward Two School Commissioner for two-year term; one Ward Two Inspector of Election for three-year term; all terms beginning April 4, 2022

WARD THREE/CENTRAL DISTRICT – one Ward Three City Councilor for two-year term; one Ward Three School Commissioner for two-year term; one Ward Three Inspector of Election for three-year term; all terms beginning April 4, 2022

WARD FOUR/NORTH DISTRICT – one Ward Four City Councilor for two-year term; one Ward Four School Commissioner for two-year term; one Ward Four Inspector of Election for three-year term; all terms beginning April 4, 2022

WARD FIVE/SOUTH DISTRICT – one Ward Five City Councilor for two-year term; one Ward Five School Commissioner for two-year term; one Ward Five Inspector of Election for three-year term; all terms beginning April 4, 2022

WARD SIX/SOUTH DISTRICT – one Ward Six City Councilor for two-year term; one Ward Six School Commissioner for two-year term; one Ward Six Inspector of Election for three-year term; all terms beginning April 4, 2022

WARD SEVEN/NORTH DISTRICT – one Ward Seven City Councilor for two-year term; one Ward Seven School Commissioner for two-year term; one Ward Seven Inspector of Election for three-year term; all terms beginning April 4, 2022

WARD EIGHT/EAST DISTRICT – one Ward Eight City Councilor for two-year term; one Ward Eight School Commissioner for two-year term; one Ward Eight Inspector of Election for two-year term; one Ward Eight Inspector of Election for three-year term; all terms beginning April 4, 2022.

The legal voters shall also vote upon four special articles being placed on the ballot by request of the City Council by Resolutions duly adopted and approved and one special article being placed on the ballot by request of the Board of School Commissioners by action of the Commissioners duly approved, said special articles being as follows:

1. Approval of School Budget for Fiscal Year 2023

"Shall the voters of the school district approve the school board to expend $98,232,381 which is the amount the school board has determined to be necessary for the ensuing fiscal year?

It is estimated that this proposed budget, if approved, will result in education spending of $19,310.56 per equalized pupil. This projected spending per equalized pupil is 13.13% higher than spending for the current year. Spending at this level could produce a property tax rate decrease of 6.98% (current estimate)."

2. PROPOSED INCREASE TO GENERAL FUND TAX RATE

"Shall the maximum general city tax rate pursuant to Section 99 of the City Charter be increased by $0.04 from $0.1952 to $0.2352, a 5.5% increase to the FY23 overall city tax rate?"

3. AUTHORIZATION TO ISSUE GENERAL OBLIGATIONS BONDS FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS

"Shall the City Council be authorized to issue general obligation bonds or notes in one or more series in an amount not to exceed Twenty Three Million Eight Hundred Thousand Dollars ($23,800,000) for the purpose of accomplishing a series of capital improvements, replacements, and repair projects within the City, including but not limited to replacement of fire trucks and emergency communication systems, repair of ten city-owned facilities and nine miles of city sidewalks, and allocation of local matching funds for on-going or upcoming capital projects all of which are intended to preserve City facilities and services, avoid further maintenance and repair costs, and to further projects to improve the City and its infrastructure with the condition that if the City succeeds at securing other capital funds in excess of the current projections, which can be used in place of General Obligation bonding, the Administration will prioritize taxpayer savings as a goal with the additional condition that it may not reallocate bond proceeds to other investments, except with explicit City Council approval of the reallocation?"

4. PLEDGING THE CREDIT OF THE CITY TO SECURE INDEBTEDNESS FOR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN TIF DISTRICT

"Shall the City Council be authorized to pledge the full faith and credit of the City to secure indebtedness or make direct payments for the purpose of funding one or more public improvements and related costs attributable to projects serving the Downtown Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District, specifically:

(a) Main Street Streetscape Upgrades: For the six blocks between South Union Street and Battery Street inclusive of all intersections: to include streetscape, stormwater, utility, lighting, transportation upgrades, and including relocation of or otherwise upgrading the portion of the so-called "ravine sewer" from its present location crossing mid-block from College Street to Main Street in the block between South Union and South Winooski Avenue;

(b) Related Costs: payment of or reimbursement for TIF eligible related costs incurred by the City for the creation, implementation and administration of the Downtown TIF District, including costs paid to outside vendors, consultants, and various related fees and other expenses related to the TIF district, as well as direct municipal expenses such as departmental or personnel costs related to creating or administering the district to the extent they are paid from the municipal and not education incremental taxes and are otherwise reimbursed in accordance with law;

in a total principal amount not to exceed $25,920,000 (which will bring the total Downtown TIF District debt approved since the Downtown TIF District's creation to $35,920,000, of which $10,000,000 has been previously authorized by voters and $5,420,000 has been previously borrowed with $4,580,000 that is approved but not yet borrowed), and to issue bonds, notes or make interfund loans for such purpose, and expend up to $1,470,000 for related costs, which will bring the total related costs authorized by voters to $1,848,000 with the understanding that tax increment from the properties within the Downtown TIF District shall be pledged and appropriated for the payment of such indebtedness or direct costs of the improvements; and with the further understanding that the City may utilize more than the statutory minimum requirement of 75 % of all municipal increment, up to and including 100 % of same, in meeting the financial obligations of the Downtown TIF District?"

5. PROPOSED CHARTER CHANGE TO REMOVE CITY COUNCIL AUTHORITY TO REGULATE SEX WORKERS

"Shall the Charter of the City of Burlington, Acts of 1949, No. 298 as amended, be further amended by removing in its entirety §48(7) so as to remove from City Council's enumerated powers the ability:

(7) To restrain and suppress houses of ill fame and disorderly houses, and to punish common prostitutes and persons consorting therewith.

Miro Weinberger, Mayor

* Material underlined added

* Material struck through removed

Publication Dates: Seven Days, January 23, 2022

Burlington, Vermont