Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Commissioner of Taxes Bill Shouldice today released the December 1 education tax rate letter, which forecasts the education tax yields for resident homeowners and the non-homestead tax rate for the upcoming fiscal year (FY) 2027. This year’s letter projects education property tax bills to increase by a statewide average of 11.9%r. The Vermont Legislature last session agreed to cap the education property tax increase at 1.1% for FY26, which reduced the rate from a projected 5.9% increase. The short-term measure resulted from a deal between Governor Scott and lawmakers to provide some relief from rising property taxes. For FY26, a buydown of rates used $118 million, paid for by a mix of surplus general and education fund tax dollars ($77 million from the general fund and $41 million from the education fund). The FY25 increase was nearly 13.8% and resulted in Republicans gaining several seats in the Legislature in the subsequent 2024 general election.

Vermont Business Magazine Lawson’s Finest Liquids will celebrate GivingTuesday, a day dedicated to radical generosity, by donating $100,000 across 69 nonprofit organizations. Marking the B Corp Certified brewery’s most impactful GivingTuesday yet, the 2025 donation will support a range of causes across Vermont with amounts of up to $10,000 going to organizations focusing on food and economic security, healthy communities, natural resource protection, and sustainable recreation. With 35% of this year’s donation supporting nonprofits that fight hunger and food insecurity, the largest single donation will go to the Vermont Foodbank, the state’s largest hunger-relief organization and only food bank that provides 14 million pounds of food annually to people throughout Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) has reopened a 5.5-mile segment of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT) in St. Johnsbury that had been closed due to flood damage. The trail section from Mt. Vernon Street in St. Johnsbury at milepost (MP) 1.05 to Danville at MP 6.6 is now open. July 2024 flooding damaged numerous sites along the LVRT. During the 2024 and 2025 construction seasons, work was completed on sites that needed repairs, including a recent culvert replacement in St. Johnsbury at MP 1.42 and temporary repairs at multiple sites from MP 1.42 east to Mt. Vernon Street at MP 1.05.

Vermont Business Magazine Mamava, the category creator and market leader in lactation infrastructure and support, today announced the acquisition of TalkBox, a Colorado–based company that designs sound-resistant privacy booths for calls, meetings, telehealth, and wellness. The acquisition marks a major milestone in Mamava’s mission and responds to the growing demand for inclusive, human-centered spaces that provide comfort, privacy, and dignity in workplaces and public environments. Financial terms were not released.

Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity For many of the nearly 4,600 Vermonters without stable housing — including over 1,000 children — a warm place to sleep is not a guarantee. As temperatures drop, it is important to be aware of critical changes to Vermont's emergency housing this winter. Starting December 1, and continuing through March 31, Vermont's emergency motel voucher program will temporarily pause key limits. The usual 80-night cap is lifted during these months, meaning any household that has already reached their limit can re-apply, and any nights used during the winter won't count against their annual total. The overall room capacity limit is also lifted. However, rooms are extremely limited and fill quickly, so immediate action is essential.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Gallagher, Flynn & Company (GFC) will host a free year-end financial planning webinar, “Year-End Planning: What To Do Before the Clock Runs Out,” on Tuesday, December 9 from 12:00–1:00 p.m. The program will feature leading experts from GFC: Tax Partners Chelsea Condos, CPA and Angela Guinness, CPA, and Assurance & Advisory Senior Manager Fran Briand, CPA. With the final weeks of the year approaching, business owners can still take important steps to strengthen their financial position, reduce risk, and plan effectively for 2026. This session will provide clear, actionable guidance rooted in tax expertise, financial analysis, and best practices in year-end business planning.

Vermont Business Magazine Emerge Vermont, the state’s premier organization for recruiting and training Democratic women to run for office, announced that applications are now open for two training programs for candidates interested in running for local, legislative, or statewide office in 2026. Emerge Vermont’s annual Municipal Bootcamp is a one-day, online training happening Saturday, January 3rd, 2026. The program will provide skills and tools to enable participants from across Vermont to run successful campaigns for school boards, selectboards, city councils, and village trustee boards on Town Meeting Day. Registration is now open and the cost is $75 per person.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.10/g, down 3.4 cents per gallon from last week's $3.13/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.82/g while the highest was $3.29/g, a difference of 47.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 8.5 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.95/g today.

Vermont Business Magazine Communications and PR Specialist Kevin Lambert announced today that he has created a comprehensive economic-development funding calendar for the State of Vermont. He will introduce the prototype at the Monkton Town Hall on Tuesday, December 9th at 12:30pm. The Vermont calendar features roughly 350 unique programs offered by state nonprofits, philanthropic organizations and federal and state agencies. Lambert’s vision extends beyond the Green Mountains and Lake Champlain, however: a calendar of U.S. Government grant and loan programs is nearly complete, and versions for the 49 remaining states suggest more adventures in hardcore data entry may lie ahead. 

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) Agriculture Drought Impact Survey will be closing in two weeks! Please complete and submit a response to the survey before December 15th to ensure your experience and needs are captured. Your survey responses support a greater understanding of this drought's impact on Vermont's agricultural industries. We have 174 responses to date from producers across industries and operation size. Data from these businesses projects* over $14 million in losses from the 2025 drought. You can find highlights of aggregate responses on the Agriculture Drought Impact Survey dashboard on the VAAFM drought webpage.

by Olga Peters, Vermont Business Magazine As the leaves yellow and fall in Washington County, businesses turn their sights towards winter. For the retail sector, this change of seasons means the busy holiday shopping rush. Outdoor recreation businesses turn their attention to winter sports. Municipalities prepare for long hours of plowing and sanding. Montpelier and surrounding communities look ahead to January, the start of the new legislative session and the lawmakers who descend on the area for four intense months. But, for many in Washington County, the changing weather will not alter a sense of uncertainty permeating the economy.

by Amanda Kuhnert Since its opening in May 2025, Johnson General Store has truly been a labor of community love. Its success stands as a testament to the dedication and perseverance of owners Mike and Haley Mignone, and the unwavering support of the Greater Johnson community. Just one month after launching the business, the Mignones faced an almost catastrophic setback when a portion of the store’s inventory was lost during a townwide electrical outage. This difficulty followed an already challenging launch. Equipment issues and unexpected startup costs — financial strains exacerbated by the outage — had left the couple unsure if they could keep their doors open.