REP. MARI CORDES

The following five questions, along with a requested word limit, were asked of each local candidate in a competitive race for the Vermont House or Senate.

The questions are not repeated in the context of each candidate’s response, but are recalled by subject at the beginning of each answer.

Primary Election Day is Aug. 13.

1) PERSONAL BACKGROUND: I am a strong, independent woman. I have been a mason tender, vegetable farmer, union president, and Vermont RN for 36 years. Having created successful healthcare policy even before becoming a legislator, my experience as a working nurse has been invaluable to legislative healthcare policy-making. Community, organizing to make things better for all to enjoy life in Vermont are priorities. A constituent and her wife once said that when they see my lawn sign in someone’s yard, they know they would be safe there. I love traveling with my family, riding my bicycle, kayaking, fishing, hunting, and exploring the wilderness.

2) THREE ISSUES: (1) Cost of living, (+ property taxes, housing), and (2) ever increasing healthcare costs (that drive up property taxes) are challenging for a small state with a small taxbase to address — we can, and have. (3) We must strengthen, not dismantle, our public education system.

We know that property tax rates are a big problem. Legislature is required by law to raise revenue necessary to pay for all school budgets voted in across the state. Contrary to the administration’s irresponsible and angst-provoking communications, after hundreds of testimony and hours with stakeholders and experts, the legislature’s yield bill reduced property tax rates from the average projection of 20% to about 13-14%. Being a statewide average (skewed by a small number of districts) rates in our district were much lower than 13-14%. The costs of living and healthcare are not going to decrease; we will continue to work on lowering the tax burden next year.

Despite a progressive tax system, our state government is not raising enough revenue to provide basic services, which consequently increases the cost of living for low and middle-income taxpayers who can least afford it. This pressure leaves most of us “fighting under the table for scraps”. We can, and intend to change this. The top 1% of Vermont income-earners are paying a smaller portion of their income in state taxes than middle income Vermonters. Corporate profits are also protected and paying less than their fair share.

Good democratic governance is responsive and accountable to the people. Our collective strength and compassion are the most important qualities that will allow us to meet the significant challenges we face. Sen Wellstone: “We all do better when we all do better”. Good governance is key to that. I honor these values and will continue to work to uphold them.

3) PAYING FOR SCHOOLS: I had experiences as a kid where adults showing up for me changed the trajectory of my life. And public education is where most of that support happened. I want to make sure that our education system is there for our kids when they need it, and that education staff have the tools they need.

I introduced legislation to fund education using a more progressive income-based method, completely separate from property taxes, shown to be more stable and fair. I supported the 2024 Commission on the Future of Public Education to ensure “all students are afforded quality educational opportunities and an efficient, sustainable and equitable system…”.

Vermont’s current funding system is complex, and measures passed to date have not been successful in addressing root causes, especially related to increases in cost of living and cost of healthcare. So we must continue to work to lower property tax burdens immediately, at the same time, with the Commission, we’re creating major structural change to protect Vermonters and our education system from the pressures of economic root causes being felt across the country. It is not wise to make such major structural change in a hurry as the governor suggests; instead we must allow for constituent voices to be heard in the process of significant focus with education and education finance experts.

The Commission will provide the following reports: (1) a formal work plan, with maximal public engagement, by 9/15/24; (2) preliminary findings and recommendations by 1/15/24; and (3) final findings and recommendations by 12/1/25.

While protecting the integrity and strength of local districts, we may need to look at state-wide management and resourcing of certain school-based services in order to contain costs, such as mental health services, healthcare/insurance, school construction and maintenance, and more.

4) HOUSING: The success of Act 76, the Child Care bill, is apparent. More spots are available for kids, more parents are able to afford childcare and get back/stay in the workforce, and more early childhood educators/centers are able to contribute to Vermont’s economy. We need to continue to make Vermont enticing for young families by making sure that they have an affordable place to live, as well as keep elders safely in their own homes.

There is a proven place for short term rentals (STRs) in a tourism economy like Vermont’s. Families, retired people and people with limited income can add income diversity. Also, we must protect Vermont residents, renters and homeowners/buyers from the “Airbnb effect”. Unregulated STRs have been shown to have a negative impact on long term renters and homeowners by adding to increases in housing values/costs, outpricing a place to live for the long term residents of the area, and limiting their ability to raise children and contribute to the local economy. The influx of wealthy 2nd home owners during the pandemic has added to the problem.

Next steps:

Continue to reduce regulatory burdens to all aspects of affordable home building, while continuing to provide state financial support and access to federal funding for affordable housing projects, including application and infrastructure support for local and municipal governments.

Provide state (e.g. licensing, rental registry) and local power (e.g. zoning) to not only regulate short and long-term rentals, but provide entities with adequate financial and human resource support to design –together – equitable community rental housing plans with voices of short and long term landlords, renters, those impacted by racial, ethnic and economic disparity, and town/city/rural planners at the table.

Continue to invest in trades’ workforce development, starting at age appropriate student levels.

5) CLIMATE: Yes, as long as the plan continues to be a living document updated at least every 4 years, any strategies from the plan continue to be subject to approval of the legislature with significant public and stakeholder input (e.g., as has occurred with the latest Renewable Energy Standard bill and Network Geothermal bill of which I introduced the original version), and the voices of youth and marginalized people are truly supported and empowered in the process.

The devastating impacts of the climate emergency are painfully evident. We have created strong policy with a focus on protecting those who can least afford the impacts of climate change, as well as the tools and strategies we need to survive. Because of the unprecedented investment by the Biden administration and bipartisanship at the federal level, we have significant financial support to make a just transition for those that want to participate. Those that don’t want to participate will still be afforded these protections, including economic, while they can maintain the status quo for their heating and transportation choices (at least while fossil fuels are available and viable).

Read more Addison Independent coverage of Mari Cordes here.

Find our Q&As with the rest of the Vermont Senate and House candidates here.