PLYMOUTH, Vt. – On Plymouth’s annual Town Warning, Article 1, to vote for a moderator, selectmen, lister, trustee of public funds, cemetery commissioner, and constable; and Article 2, to vote to eliminate the office of listers and approve the selectboard to appoint an assessor, will be voted on by Australian ballot on March 4.
At the Town Meeting, the Town of Plymouth discussed Article 2. Board member Keith Cappellini explained that there were “two schools of thought” on the issue. One would be to maintain as it currently stands an office of elected listers, “who all step up from the community and fulfill the role” and duties of a lister. The proposed idea is to appoint one person to fill the professional, certified assessor role, to do the tasks of the three listers “in a professional manner.”
Cappellini stated that the board is proposing this to the voters because there have been an increased number of complaints in regards to how the listers office operates, and how they assess, and it has become a “difficult work environment” in the office amongst the listers and everyone else.
Board Chair Jay Kullman added that one feature of an appointed assessor requires a Level 3 assessor training, an added level of professionalism and expertise.
When asked if this structure change would cost the town and taxpayers more money, board member Rick Kaminski said that from the analysis they looked at, he could not see that it would cost more. He further explained that if you currently have an issue with the board of listers, you would have to work through it with them. If the selectboard hires an assessor, any issues could be brought to the selectboard. Kaminski said they would advertise, interview, and make a decision that is best for the town.
Article 3 was approved, to allocate $13,589.50 to human services, and Article 4, to appropriate $2,500 to the Okemo Valley Technical Rescue Group to support emergency rescue services and training to the town, was also approved.
Kullman then went over the town budget, stating that taxes have decreased. Cherry Nicoll, treasurer and FEMA administrator, has helped the town get reimbursed $773,000 to date for flood damage. There is $852,000 in the general fund, with another $1 million in the reserve fund, $130,000 of which is transferred to the highway equipment fund every year. He reported there is nothing scheduled for replacement in 2025, but the town plans to replace a grader and pickup in 2026. Taxes were broken down: town tax, 28%; school tax, 23%; and 49% state education fund.
The town budget of $1,592,689.50 to be raised in taxes for estimated expenses of $1,999,739.50 was approved, with a citizen thanking the board, noting he had never seen taxes decrease.
Article 6, to fix salaries for each selectboard member at $1,600 annually, and Article 7, to collect real estate taxes on Sept. 2, 2025, and Feb. 2, 2026, were both approved.
The Town Meeting was adjourned, and then a video of Woodstock School District students was played to show how the school budget impacts students’ education and the programs they enjoy. State Rep. Charlie Kimbell then spoke to the residents about what is happening in Montpelier, and the problems they try to solve every day.
Kimbell discussed a law that passed in 2023 that requires the state do a better job of assessing properties consistently across the state. There are 129 towns in Vermont that have Grand Lists that need to be assessed by 2030. A statewide appraisal system was recommended in 2024, which would create 12 assessment districts across the state in an attempt to more scientifically and consistently assess properties. Currently, each town conducts their own appraisals.
Kimbell moved to the education system, stating there are currently 52 supervisory unions across the state, and a new proposal is to eliminate the supervisory unions and convert to five school districts. “That’s five elected school board members” representing all of Vermont’s schools and students. He noted that Act 46 was “painful,” this would be “a huge change.”
Another state proposal was to look at how education is funded. Budgets are developed by school boards and voted on. In this proposal, the state would provide a budget based on the profile of the number of students, any special or additional student needs, and the average cost of running a school. This proposal allocates $13,200 per student, and currently the Woodstock district is well over $20,000.
Kimbell said the education system in Vermont has a lot of very small schools, as that is a priority of the state. Other states have consolidated on a faster basis. He questioned where savings and cuts would come from. The proposed staff-to-student ratio is 8.8, currently at 4.8, “that’s half as many people working in our school system as we have now.”
Kimbell said they are in the process of digging into the numbers, and expect to have a better plan by mid-June, at the end of this legislative session.
Results from the March 4 vote by Australian ballot will be published in next week’s March 12 edition of The Vermont Journal.