Vermont Governor Jim Douglas yesterday (May 27, 2010) vetoed H485, An Act Relating to the Use Value Appraisal Program. The governor said in his veto message that H485 greatly undermines the original intent of the Current Use program, is complicated, highly nuanced, difficult to understand, administratively complex and needlessly and unfairly increases three taxes.
Governor Douglas has supported the Current Use program since he voted for the program s inception as a member of the House in the 1970 s. I continue to support the Current Use program, and believe that it has provided great benefits to our state. It is unfortunate that the General Assembly chose to raise taxes unnecessarily and punitively on the stewards of Vermont's working landscape in an effort to address the perceived misuse of the program. A more calibrated approach is required to achieve the desired objectives, he concluded.
Speaker of the House Shap Smith and Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin expressed their disappointment with the veto.
"Vermonters throughout the state are struggling to pay their property taxes as they fight joblessness and stagnant incomes," said Senator Shumlin. "Why the Governor would choose to subsidize developers instead of helping struggling, hard working Vermonters puzzles me."
Environmentalists were also disappointed in the veto. Much of their focus has been on landowners apparently gaming the system by keeping their land in the Current Use program until they are ready to develop it.
"It s ironic that just at a time when the governor is calling for efficiencies and improvements in government, he has rejected efficiencies and improvements by vetoing this bill," said Jamey Fidel, Forest and Biodiversity Program Director, Vermont Natural Resources Council.
"Last year," he added, "lawmakers required $1.6 million in savings from current use to help balance the budget. A diverse group of strong supporters of the program, including the Farm Bureau, Rural Vermont, The Vermont Land Trust, Audubon Vermont, Vermont Natural Resources Council, the Nature Conservancy, the League of Cities and Towns, and the Assessors and Listers Association, took this mandate seriously and worked with the Legislature to strengthen the Current Use program while finding necessary savings. Lawmakers passed a bipartisan, responsible bill that plugs a budget gap and puts Current Use on a stable financial track going into the future. Now, with this veto, we have a hole in the budget and lost an opportunity to address the issues facing the program such as cost, purpose, and administrative effectiveness."
Legislative leaders said they have not decided if they will bring the Legislature back into session June 9 in an attempt to override the veto. However, the conventional wisdom in Montpelier suggests they will not do so because of the expense, the uncertain outcome of such an effort, and the fact that several members of the Legislature are running for higher office, including Shumlin who is running for governor, and would have to continue to put of some parts of their fundraising, in particular raising money from lobbyists, until after the conclusion of that special session.
The Governor s veto message follows:
Governor Douglas vetoes 'Current Use' bill
Submitted by tim
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