The Burlington City Council has unanimously approved three bonds that will be going on the Town Meeting Day ballot.
If approved by voters, these bonds will support needed investments in critical city infrastructure. They support improvements in the city’s wastewater and drinking water systems, new fleet vehicles for various city departments and smaller infrastructure projects like repairs in sidewalks and roads.
The bonds were presented by city departments at the beginning of January before being discussed and officially voted on by councilors at the Jan. 27 City Council meeting. Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak shared the details of the bonds at a press conference Jan. 28.
What are the bonds?
- General Obligation Bond – $20M
- General obligation bond that requires 2/3 support of voters.
- This bond will enable investments in core city infrastructure including replacing 30% of aging fleet vehicle (fire trucks, police cruisers, snowplows), increasing traffic calming work to respond to about 75% of current community request, paving additional streets, rebuilding additional sidewalks and upgrades to key parks infrastructure.Â
- LAKE Bond – $152M
- Revenue bond that requires 50% support of voters.
- This bond will fund a major generational overhaul of the Main Wastewater Treatment Plant – limiting preventable beach closures, further reducing phosphorus pollution to the lake, meeting federal and state regulatory requirements and helping the city meet future housing growth needs.Â
- WATER Bond – $20M
- Revenue bond that requires 50% support of voters.Â
- This bond will shore up critical parts of the drinking water supply network by building a new high service pump station building and make key repairs to the reservoir which is the city’s emergency water storage and the water source for the pumps to draw off of and supply water to University of Vermont Medical Center – the region’s only Level 1 trauma center. The remainder of the bond will go toward known high priority projects at the drinking water plant, last upgraded in 1984, and additional work on water mains.  Â
Mulvaney-Stanak shared the potential impact on taxpayers per bond item passing. Based on projections, the two water bonds may lead to a typical single family household water bill increasing up to 89% overall between 2025 and 2030. This would occur over a series of annual increases.Â
The maximum tax impact of the General Obligation bond would be around $12 per month increase on a $500k home.
While these jumps are not insignificant, city leaders expressed the need to address these infrastructure issues sooner than later.Â
Town Meeting Day information
Town Meeting Day is Tuesday, March 4. Visit your polling location on March 4th. Find your polling location on the Burlington city website.
If you’re voting early, you ballot will be mailed during the week of Feb. 10. Fill this out, drop it in a drop box at any of the following locations by Monday, March 3:
- City Hall Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- One of the Ballot Drop Box located at:
- City Hall – Main Street side of the building across from the Flynn Theater.
- Department of Public Works – 645 Pine Street.
- Fire Station #2 – 132 North Avenue, rear of building.
- Robert Miller Community Center – 130 Gosse Court.
- Fire Station #3 – 20 Mansfield Avenue.
Sydney P. Hakes is the Burlington city reporter. Contact her at SHakes@gannett.com.