It’s time to weigh in on the state budget

Every year the governor and his administration invite the public to comment on budget priorities as they develop next year’s spending plan. The governor kicks off the state budget process each year by putting together a budget proposal that he delivers to the Legislature in January.

Public input is more important than ever this year. Vermont has received billions of dollars of Covid aid and policy makers are still deciding how to spend a lot of that money. And there are a lot of Vermonters still struggling from the pandemic.

The public input system isn’t perfect, but it does let Vermonters fill out a survey and/or submit comments on the state budget. If ever there was a time to have your voices heard about what government should be doing, that time is now. While it would be better to have a more interactive process that provides information and creates dialogue rather than one-way limited feedback, it’s still worth doing.

So if you’ve watched state services expire that you think are still needed (supplemental unemployment, housing assistance, food aid), this is your chance to tell the governor to keep them going. Or if you think health care workers need more support, or rural broadband should be more of a priority, let them know.

Many municipal leaders are also seeking input on how to best use their federal Covid aid. You may want to contact your town’s officials with your thoughts about priorities for use of these special funds.

Speaking from your personal knowledge and observation is the best kind of input. You don’t need to be an expert on the state or municipal budgets. Our government pools people’s money to meet our collective needs. Your voice about how this money is spent is an important contribution to the process.