Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak issued the following statement after the Burlington City Council Democratic Caucus voted unanimously on January 20 to block an advisory question on a homestead tax exemption from appearing on the Town Meeting Day ballot.
“(Tuesday's) vote by the seven Democratic City Councilors denied Burlington residents a basic democratic tool—the opportunity to weigh in on a well-researched, non-binding policy proposal affecting tax fairness and affordability.
"My bipartisan Tax Fairness Working Group presented a series of recommendations in September on how to make our municipal tax system fairer. One of their recommendations was introduced as a possible charter change question to the City Council in October and referred to the Council’s Charter Change Committee. The proposal would apply a universal $30,000 homestead exemption to homestead properties in Burlington, reducing their taxable assessed value before the City’s property tax rate is applied.
"The Charter Change Committee formally began deliberations in October and into November but did not present a final recommendation to the Council and has not met since November 10th.
"In the interim, Ward 2 Councilor Gene Bergman proposed an advisory question that would ask voters to indicate if the City should advance the universal $30,000 homestead tax exemption. Advisory questions are commonly used by municipalities to gauge public opinion, offer a direct democracy opportunity to voters, and inform policymaking; they do not enact policy on their own.
"My administration has approached this proposal with transparency and rigor. First, Councilor Bergman and my team proposed the concept as a charter change and then an advisory question. Over the past two months, we shared detailed, public analyses showing that the exemption would lower municipal property taxes for roughly two-thirds of Burlington primary homeowners while remaining revenue neutral. The data also demonstrate that the projected 3.1% increase on non-homestead properties would not result in the significant rent impacts claimed by opponents—an assertion not supported by the data.
"This recommendation was nearly unanimously endorsed by the Tax Fairness Working Group because homestead exemptions are not a new idea – they are a proven, widely used form of tax relief across the country, particularly in communities where home values are rising faster than wages. For example, South Carolina and Louisiana exempt $75,000 and $50,000, respectively, off of their homestead properties. These exemptions also address inequitable property assessments, which disproportionately burden owners of lower-value homes in Burlington.
"Blocking an advisory question prevents residents from participating in an informed, public conversation about affordability and ‘ability to pay.’ Burlingtonians are capable of engaging with complex policy choices, and they deserve the chance to express their views at the ballot box.
"Despite this setback, my administration remains committed to advancing affordability for renters and homeowners alike. We are pursuing several legislative items focused on strengthening renter protections by enabling just-cause eviction, rent stabilization authority, and longer notice periods for rent increases to help keep people housed. We also hope to make the tax system fairer by creating local property tax credits to landlords who keep rent increases at or below the cost of living and improving the state’s renter credit programs so moderate-income renter households are not excluded from the benefits of property tax relief.”
“At the municipal level, the homestead exemption would be a straightforward tax reform to explore, and possibly pursue, that complements these overall efforts. This would be one piece of a multi-pronged approach to reforming our local tax system to benefit low to moderately incomed people who are homeowners and renters. This is crucial because affordability is a system problem, and we need action at multiple levels to advance the largest collective benefit for our residents.”
"My administration will continue working to bring meaningful tax reform before voters, because the status quo is not working—and Burlington residents cannot wait any longer for relief.”
1.22.2026. Office of Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak
To support vital journalism, access our archives and get unique features like our award-winning profiles, Book of Lists & Business-to-Business Directory, subscribe HERE!
