PANTON — When Panton homeowners opened their tax bills late this summer, they found an unwelcome surprise: a school-tax hike of almost 18 cents.
That sharp increase — although it represented basically Panton’s first since 2009 — has sparked reaction by residents and town officials alike, including a Sept. 24 selectboard meeting that was better attended than Panton’s town meeting.
Residents are upset with the pace of education funding reform, which was an issue in Montpelier even before Act 60 became law in the late 1990s.