Current News

Vermont Business Magazine AARP Tax-Aide, the nation’s largest free volunteer-run tax counseling and preparation service, is seeking volunteers to assist in tax preparation. Tax season, AARP Tax-Aide volunteers help prepare federal and state tax returns for low and middle income taxpayers with special attention to those 60 and older. Volunteers of all backgrounds are welcome and some computer skills are an extra bonus. You do not need to be an AARP member nor a retiree and no prior experience in tax preparation is necessary. All ages are welcome. Volunteers are needed not only to calculate taxes, but to greet taxpayers to keep the site running smoothly. Tax counselors receive free tax training and become IRS certified by passing the IRS exam. They help residents one-on-one at tax sites in their own communities across Vermont. It’s a great way to meet new people, learn new skills and help others in your community.

You’re invited ….

Vermont Business Magazine The Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce has embarked on a bold new ‘Shop Local’ initiative to make e-commerce and associated services free for all local businesses, and to help members further by facilitating all businesses, goods, services, and promotions from independent websites to seamlessly come together into the most comprehensive and integrated database, search engine, and shopping mall platform for the region. The chamber has partnered with SharedMall to support the entire Shop Local infrastructure on the SharedMall platform. “Wanted to let you know that on our website we now have the live sharedmall cart. 

Vermont Business Magazine On September 14, 2016, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets filed the Required Agricultural Practices (RAP) Final Proposed Rule with the Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules (LCAR) and the Vermont Secretary of State’s office. This filing represents the final step in the public rulemaking process the Agency has been engaged in since October of 2015. Public comment to the RAPs generally has been that they don't go far enough to meet the total maximum daily load (TMDL) standards set by the EPA. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont has the second highest percentage of individuals covered by health insurance of any state in the nation and has the second lowest poverty rate. The US Census Bureau has released its most detailed look at America's people, places and economy with new statistics on income, poverty, health insurance and more than 40 other topics from the American Community Survey. Many states saw an increase in income and a decrease in poverty rates between 2014 and 2015. Vermont's houshold income increased 5.1 percent. During that same period, the percentage of people covered by health insurance increased in all of the largest 25 metropolitan areas. The findings are from the US Census Bureau's 2015 American Community Survey, the nation's most comprehensive information source on American households. Today's release provides statistics on more than 40 social, economic and housing topics for US communities with populations of 65,000 or more. 

by Michael Bielawski/Vermont Watchdog Attorney general candidates Republican Deborah Bucknam and Democrat TJ Donovan criticized Vermont’s handling of the opioid addiction crisis during a debate at Johnson State College on Thursday. The debate, moderated by state Sen. Bill Doyle, R-Washington, was attended by college students and largely focused on drug addiction.

“I think the heroin epidemic is the most serious issue facing our state,” Donovan said, speaking from a conference table in the college’s Ellsworth Room.

Vermont Business Magazine The Senate passed an amendment Thursday introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) that would allow Vermont to apply for up to $10 million for repairs to the Waterbury Dam, which was built in the 1930s. The amendment was included in the Water Resources Development Act of 2016, which now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.

“The Waterbury Dam is an essential piece of Vermont’s infrastructure,” said Sanders, who serves on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “Maintaining and repairing the dam has long been a priority for the state. This bi-partisan legislation is a first step in rebuilding aging dams in Vermont and throughout the United States.”

Vermont Business Magazine Heading toward the November 1 open enrollment period for Vermont Health Connect, Governor Peter ShumIin today applauded the dramatic improvements to the system and the expansion of more affordable coverage available to Vermonters. “What we’ve been able to do is take a huge federal investment and accomplish some great things for Vermonters,” Gov. Shumlin said. “We’ve expanded coverage, and now Vermont has one of the lowest uninsured rates in the country. We were also able use federal dollars to upgrade an aging state Medicaid technology system and ease Vermonters’ access to the program.”

“I’m proud that we were able to use federal dollars to solve problems that otherwise would fall on the backs of Vermont taxpayers,” the Governor added.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia M Burwell announced $548,467 in funding for 10 health centers in Vermont for health information technology enhancements. In total, today’s announcement includes $87 million in funding for 1,310 health centers in every U.S. state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the Pacific Basin.

“Health centers across the country are instrumental in providing high-quality, comprehensive primary health care to millions of people,” said Secretary Burwell. “This investment will help unlock health care data and put it to work, improving health outcomes and building a better health care system for the American people.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Taxes and the home-hotel service Airbnb have worked out a deal in which Airbnb will collect meals and rooms tax on payment for lodging offered by its hosts. Vermont joins other states and the District of Columbia, as well as many other cities and counties, where Airbnb has agreed to collect their occupancy taxes on behalf of the hosts. Beginning October 1, Airbnb will collect and remit taxes to the state. This allows for a more streamlined booking process for the guests using Airbnb, and works to level the playing field with traditional hotels by ensuring hosts on Airbnb are collecting and remitting the taxes owed. Additionally, hosts on Airbnb will not be responsible for any back taxes they have failed to collect.

Vermont Business Magazine The Champlain Housing Trust announced today it had exceeded a benchmark set by Governor Shumlin to house more people who are without a home. In April, 2016 the Governor signed an Executive Order which “calls for owners of housing that receive state funds to make available at least 15 percent of their portfolio of housing units to Vermonters experiencing homelessness.” The Housing Trust identified 16 percent of the residents of its rental portfolio fitting the criteria under the Order.

“While we have made tremendous strides over the last few years resulting in a 28% decline in homelessness in Vermont, there still are over 1,100 Vermonters who are homeless,” said Michael Monte, COO/CFO of the Champlain Housing Trust and a member of the Governor’s Council on Pathways from Poverty. “We have met the target, but we know that there’s more to do.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Orton family, proprietors of The Vermont Country Store, announced today that the company’s Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer Jim Hall has been promoted to president of the 70-year-old business. “Our family has been very impressed with Jim’s skills and successes in his role as COO, and we are thrilled to offer him the opportunity to lead our company,” said Eliot Orton, chairman of the company’s board of directors. “We are confident that he is the right person with the right vision to take the success we’ve achieved in our first 70 years and grow it for future generations.” 

Jim Hall

by Mike Faher/The Commons, Brattleboro The town of Rockingham has notched a major victory in its years-long tax battle with energy giant TransCanada. The Vermont Supreme Court has ruled that TransCanada’s Bellows Falls hydroelectric station should be valued at $127.4 million, just under the $130 million appraisal advocated by the town and set by a lower-court judge. The justices’ ruling stands in stark contrast to TransCanada’s proposed $84 million valuation.