BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Is the state of Vermont giving Burlington the cold shoulder? Governor Phil Scott and administration officials toured Chittenden County Thursday as part of their occasional “Capital for a Day” events, but the governor was notably absent from Vermont’s largest city.
Taking state government to residents statewide is the idea behind Gov. Phil Scott’s “Capital for a Day” program. “I think it’s important to get out of the mainstream and hear from places you don’t hear from,” Scott said.
Members of the Republican governor’s cabinet visited businesses and organizations in Milton, Essex, Williston, Richmond, and Burlington, hearing about challenges of housing, affordability, and workforce woes.
However. the governor did not personally visit the Queen City. “We only have a day and so we have to pick and choose and some people think that Burlington gets all the attention. And when we go out on these tours, we go to the people,” Scott said.
Burlington over the last year has faced a glut of public safety and quality of life struggles related to drug use, homelessness, and other challenges. As the state’s largest city — with the most resources — many have turned to Burlington services for help.
Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney Stanak says the community has invested $6 million in a slew of human services programs. “That all costs local taxpayers to create a system to try to hold up — which is almost impossible to do a system which is a statewide system that is breaking apart, and we need stronger partners regionally and on the statewide level,” she said.
The governor and mayor attended a public safety round table in Colchester with police and municipal leaders where Mulvaney Stanak shared those concerns that have become increasingly acute as eligibility rules for the state’s hotel-motel program have tightened. “We are really at the end of our capacity,” the mayor said.
Scott maintains his administration is focused on Burlington, highlighting when he sent in the state police to assist Burlington Police two years ago. “I lived in Burlington when I went to UVM, so it’s not as though I’m averse to Burlington. There’s just a lot of territory to cover and we try to help out all parts of the state,” Scott said.