MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Republican Vermont Gov. Phil Scott wants the Democratic-controlled state Legislature to sign onto his plan limiting state tax increases.
Scott said Thursday an expected increase of $83 million would hinder growth within the state and make its economy less competitive with lower-tax neighbors.
“This approach is not acceptable to me, and honestly it doesn’t make any sense to me either,” Scott said.
He says the tax increase is largely driven by an increase in school budgets, and $58 million would come in the form of property tax increases.
Democratic lawmakers said voters approved their school budgets earlier this year.
“I am proud of our budget,” Democratic Senate President Pro Tempore Tim Ashe said in a statement Thursday.
But Scott argues that voters did not necessarily expect their taxes to increase when the voted for their school budgets.
“I know when I went into vote that wasn’t on my mind,” he said.
Scott’s renewed opposition comes in the final days of the legislative session, and lawmakers are expected to leave Montpelier at the end of the week.
Scott says he hopes that a coalition of Republicans and Democrats will find a solution that does not raise taxes.
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