June council debrief

Over the last month, Burlington adopted a new budget, UVM Medical Center nurses authorized a strike, and Vermont lawmakers overrode Governor Scott’s veto of Overdose Prevention Centers. Read along for details! 

Overdose prevention centers

A bipartisan supermajority overrode Governor Scott’s veto of H.72, a bill proposing to bring an overdose prevention center (OPC) pilot program to Burlington. Studies shows that OPCs reduce the impact of Substance Use Disorder in communities, overdose rates, transmission of diseases, impacts on first responders, users’ risk of physical or sexual violence, and do not lead to any increase in crime. Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak was a leader on OPC's as the leader of the House Progressive Caucus. 

At OPCs, trained professionals provide sterile supplies to limit transmission of disease for people who use drugs. In the event of an overdose or negative reaction, professionals are equipped to administer narcan and other treatments. This bill will save lives, aim to connect affected individuals with resources for recovery, and help reverse the public health impacts of Substance Use Disorder on our community.  (1) (2)

Now that the OPC pilot is approved for Burlington, the Mayor is working with community stakeholders to site the program and meet these positive impacts.

UVM Medical Center Strike

UVM Medical Center (UVMMC) Nurses have been working to negotiate a fair contract with the medical center administration for months. They recently voted to strike for 5 days, if the UVMMC and the union don't reach a deal by July 11th. 

Nurses at the UVMMC earn significantly less than nurses at comparable hospitals in cities with similar costs of living. This results in a high proportion of temporary nurses (or travel nurses), UVM nursing students taking jobs at other hospitals, and high turnover of existing staff. This results in worse patient care and higher costs on consumers. 

The Progressive Caucus passed a bipartisan resolution that: 
1. Stated the city’s support for the nurses as they negotiate with the hospital, and 

2. Asked the hospital to negotiate in good faith. 

Check out the following clips to learn more! 

Closing the $14 million budget gap

Burlington was faced with an inherited budget gap of over $14 million, defining the beginning of Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak’s administration with an effort to close it. Through working with department heads and the Chief Administrative Officer, the mayor crafted a budget focused on affordability for working people, prioritizes fair taxation and long-term stability, and is right-sized.

The FY25 budget passed unanimously, and starts the process of moving us forward towards economic sustainability. Not only was the gap closed, but the budget makes significant investments in community safety and initiatives to make living in Burlington more affordable for working people.

Progressives did the best that we could to make this budget as affordable as possible with limited time and resources to do so. We are investigating ways to reduce the property tax and rent burden on middle and lower income residents and make the cost of housing  based on the ability to pay. We are looking to make more improvements in  community safety and the other pressing issues (such as housing costs and climate change), collaborating with theregional, state, and federal partners we need to truly tackle these crises. 

Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak’s public safety advisors

Since May, Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak has been meeting with a group of advisors with lived and professional community safety experience. Members of the advisory committee provide input on the City’s current approach to community safety and offer expertise and recommendations for immediate and long-term improvement. The goal of this work is to ensure that our approach to community safety reflects the needs, values, and priorities of the City and its residents. Members of the advisory board include Councilors Melo Grant and Tim Doherty, former Councilor Ali Dieng, Jeff McKee (CEO of Community Health Centers of Vermont), Shabnam Nolan (Executive Director at the King Street Youth Center), Peter Hiskes (Senior Director of Retail Sales at Outdoor Gear Exchange), and Victor Prussack (Engagement Director of Burlington School District).