CHRISTINE STONE

Qualification: My public service includes acting as the Publications/Communications Coordinator for Vermont Medicaid’s fiscal agent for more than five years. I was responsible for Medicaid provider communications, interacting with internal and external state agency stakeholders relative to policy and new program initiatives. This work prepared me for legislative service as it deepened my understanding of the importance health care plays in serving Vermont’s vulnerable groups, a perspective needed to serve in the legislature, and demonstrates my ability to understand complex federal legislative requirements.

Education funding: YES! Vermont needs to change. The historical property tax increase we experienced in my district is the primary reason I ran for office. It is unreasonable that the system would allow for a 30% year over year increase to happen to anybody, especially with inflation and people living on fixed incomes. There needs to be some sort of circuit breaker in the system that makes this type of fiscal shock impossible. Forty-seven states have some type of circuit breaker on individual property taxes such as a cap that limits the year over year increase. Vermont is one of only three states that has no such safeguard. In the short term (next session before the next round of bills go out), I would advocate for looking at what those other 47 states do, determining which of those policies would best fit Vermont, possibly with modification, and capping in some meaningful way the rate of year over year property tax increase anyone can experience, preferably going back to 2023 bills as a base setting.

In the long term, we need to dispose of the current education finance system and replace it with something that respects the Brigham court decision guaranteeing equal access to resources to all communities, but also restores transparency and accountability. Voters need to know and understand what the impact on their property tax bill will be before they vote for or against their local school budgets. They need to understand explicitly who is responsible for the budgets and the taxes that fund them, the legislature or the school boards.

Housing: To address the lack of affordable housing in Vermont, I would advocate for Act 250 regulatory reform which will make it easier, more equitable and less expensive to build homes. This includes: 1) Local control: allowing towns and municipalities, with the required zoning and subdivision regulations, to administer Act 250 within their authority; 2) Eliminating Act 250 control over projects that are in state-designated town centers approved for economic development; 3) Advocating for Act 250 to fairly address the interests of rural Vermonters, who should not be punished for choosing to live outside of designated town centers as determined by the State.

Climate crisis: I will not vote for the Clean Heat Standard or any bill that increases the cost Vermonters pay to stay warm in winter. Heat is a necessity for life like food and clothing and should not be taxed. Certainly not with what amounts to a punitive, regressive tax that will negatively impact low- and moderate-income Vermonters.

The legislature should do the following: 1) Follow the State Hazard Mitigation Plan developed by Vermont Emergency Management: According to State Auditor Doug Hoffer, the State could have reduced the social and financial impact of recent flooding if it had implemented the 2018 Hazard Mitigation Plan. Of the Plan’s 96 mitigation actions, only 33% were implemented. The State failed to adopt new building codes, monitor development of river corridors and other actions.; 2) Continue sensible solutions like weatherization (Vermont Weatherization Program).; 3) Innovate and diversify our energy options by exploring solutions like home hydrogen power systems which is being done in New Jersey.

Vermont, the state with the smallest carbon footprint in the nation, has spent about $250 million on climate related programs. The legislature needs to focus on the areas where it is not doing well: affordability, public safety and quality education.

Other priorities: I would advocate for a Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR), like the one that Colorado adopted in the early 1990s. Such a system would limit state spending increases to the same rate as inflation or population growth. Any tax increases beyond this threshold would have to be approved by voters. In a Vermont poll, two-thirds of respondents polled favored such a system. Under TABOR revenue collected that exceeds the cap would be returned to taxpayers, by income level, as reported by Axios Denver for 2024.

According to a recent US News ranking, Colorado has the third-best state economy in the nation. Over the past decade, according to Rich States/Poor States, Colorado ranks sixth-best in three categories: Gross State Product growth, domestic migration, and non-farm employment growth, and is 5th-best overall in economic performance. Vermont in those same categories is 43rd, 23rd and 47th, respectively, and 41st in overall economic performance.