Current News

Vermont League of Cities & Towns The post-crossover week of every legislative session is typically a marathon of committee and floor votes. This week became particularly busy for the VLCT Advocacy team, in a bad way. Several last-minute, controversial amendments and strikes were proposed seemingly from nowhere – including the swift removal of a new plan for town highway funding in the transportation bill and a plan to use Local Option Tax revenues in the PILOT Special Fund to pay expenses related to setting the state education property tax (more on both below). We also found ourselves before the House Environment committee for a third time, this time opposing yet another proposal to restrict municipal regulation of farming activity. 

Vermont Business Magazine Developmental Disabilities Housing Initiative is hosting an Ice Cream Social, Thursday, March 26, 3:00 - 6 pm at the State House Cafeteria. Legislators and housing developers are invited to come and talk with parents and young adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities who are personally affected by lack of service supported housing choices in Vermont. 

by Maggie Lenz and Gwynn Zakov If there's one thing Vermonters can agree on right now, it's that their taxes are too high. Where they disagree, sometimes sharply, is what to do about it. Last week the House Ways and Means Committee advanced the annual "yield bill" setting education property tax rates, shuffled revenue between state funds, and uncovered a dispute over who gets surplus local option tax revenues. What becomes clear as you watch this play out is that for every dollar the state moves in one direction, it leaves a hole somewhere else, making the search for new revenue more complicated and requiring more creativity. On a very close 6-5 vote, mostly along party lines, the Ways and Means Committee passed the yield bill. The committee's version lands at roughly a 7% average increase. That's painful, but a far cry from the 12% spike projected in December.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation today announced that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has granted its motion to join the Ben & Jerry’s Independent Board’s lawsuit against Unilever/Magnum as a plaintiff. This decision allows the Foundation to formally participate in the case as it seeks to enforce Unilever/Magnum’s contractual obligations and protect its independence. The court’s decision marks a meaningful step forward for both the Foundation and the Independent Board in their efforts to uphold the provisions regarding the social mission and the foundation established at the time of the company’s acquisition. In response, Magnum told VermontBiz that it has been and continues to be "fully committed" to Ben & Jerry's mission.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.84 per gallon, up 22.8 cents per gallon from last week's $3.61/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $3.54/g while the highest was $4.00/g, a difference of 46.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has risen 24.3 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.92/g today. 

Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets The Farm Agronomic Practices (FAP) program from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets supports over 200 Vermont farmers every year to install conservation practices. FAP provides a per-acre payment rate, up to $10,000 total per year, to any Vermont farm that will install rotational grazing, no till pasture and hayland seeding, no till planting, crop rotations, manure injection and/or cover crop in 2026. 

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Windsor County, like the state’s four southern counties, has a larger footprint than the other 10 to the north. And similar to Bennington County, it comes in two parts. The southern piece contains the historic Precision Valley with Springfield and Windsor, the state’s first capital. The northern piece is part of the sprawling Upper Valley with Woodstock, White River Junction, as well as the contiguous parts of Orange County, a bit of Caledonia County and the New Hampshire towns(Hanover, Lebanon and the retail district in West Leb) just across the Connecticut River. The NH region is anchored by Dartmouth College and its namesake hospital and healthcare system referred to as Dartmouth Health.

Vermont Business Magazine Working behind the scenes to help Vermonters be seen, heard and connected with each other, elected representatives, and the democratic process, our state’s community media centers were working hard before, during and after Town Meeting Day on March 3, 2026. Leading up to meetings and votes around the state, the 24 members of the Vermont Access Network (VAN), who operate 80 Public, Educational, and Government (PEG) Access Television channels, and their 9 community radio partners, recorded and transmitted candidate statements, election forums, and ballot informational hearings and interviews.

by Jared Duval The federal government is slashing funding Vermont relies on, while giving $57,000 tax cuts to the top 1%: The state should recoup that revenue for vital services. Vermonters agree – we need to make our state more affordable to live in. While prices for goods and services in Vermont are around the national average, Vermont wages are significantly below national and regional averages. This wage vs. price gap in Vermont puts a particular burden on working class Vermonters trying to make ends meet. At the same time, and reflecting national trends, the richest 10% of Vermonters now hold nearly 50% of all income in our state – near the highest that share has been in over 100 years – with income gains over the last decade being over two and a half times higher for those in the top 10% as for middle income earners.

Vermont Business Magazine Lake Champlain Maritime Museum has announced its 2026 season with an opening date of May 23, featuring a new exhibit about the American Revolution as well as tours, public programs, and free admission. As the nation marks the 250th anniversary of its founding, the museum will share a uniquely local perspective on the American Revolution in the Champlain Valley for all to explore. 

Vermont Business Magazine As regional buyers increasingly favor local trade events over large national shows, the Vermont Specialty Food Association is launching its first-ever Producer Expo, a smaller-format, wholesale-focused event set for May 4 at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Montpelier from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Producers, buyers, distributors, retailers and industry leaders will gather for an afternoon dedicated to product discovery, procurement and connection. The Expo serves as a marketplace for ideas, innovation and opportunity. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont-based startup Shiki Wrap has secured a U.S. utility patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office for its reusable gift wrap system — a circular alternative to traditional single-use wrapping paper. Each Shiki Wrap is reversible and stretch-engineered to maintain clean lines without distortion, allowing gifts to be wrapped securely without tape or disposable bows. The hemless fabric is printed using an eco-conscious process and made from majority recycled materials, designed to endure years of reuse. Founder and CEO Meagan Downey said the milestone reinforces the company’s long-term strategy.