Vermont Legislature SmartTranscripts:

[Speaker 0]: Spending the next fifty minutes or so having a committee discussion on the FY 2027 budget. Interested parties have been sending in request memos to the committee for the last several weeks. And so, due to the diligent work of our committee assistant in helping warehouse all of this information, Everyone has a spreadsheet, which can also be found on our community page. And we're just gonna start having a conversation about what the committee wants to do about budget recommendations for this year's budget memo. Representative Hango has been helping curate all of this information for us. So, I am going to hand this conversation over to her.

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: Great, thank you. So, thanks to our committee assistant for compiling what you see before you that is a preliminary spreadsheet on budget asks that we received thus far. Some of the letters we received early on were not really specific, so we need to dig into those a little bit more. I'm probably going to start with what's on the spreadsheet. So, if this is your area of jurisdiction that you have a budget buddy, and you don't think the information is accurate, please check with your budget buddy if you think there is a question. Vermont Food Bank is the first one on the list, and these are in no particular order. They have requested $5,000,000 And as you can see on the spreadsheet, they are requesting money for the feeding Vermonters program, 2,000,000. The Vermont Food Bank Network food shelves and meal sites, 2,000,000. And the ready response for food access in emergencies of $1,000,000 And then, next on our list. Actually, I should ask, who has the Vermont Food Bank in your portfolio with your budget? Anyone in particular have that? I shouldn't

[Speaker 0]: put people

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: on the spot. Oh, that would be great. Thank you. We do have a list. I have Digitancy of Education. Yeah, that's not What's the second one? And maybe this is something that we probably shouldn't put anybody on the spot. And we can go from here if anybody thinks that there's an error in this. But this is my recollection of their ask. It was pretty straightforward. So, I feel like this is

[Speaker 0]: For me, just having a general discussion about

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: We're trying to establish what everybody has asked for so far. And if there's anything missing off this list. And then we will have a discussion at another point in time as to the merits. Because I don't think we have enough time on the agenda today to discuss the merits of each one of these. And we want to make sure we capture everybody we've heard from thus far. So we don't think we've heard anybody disagree with what they've asked for, because everybody remembers that they had this $5,000,000 ask and that's how it was broken out. So I think we're good on that point for now.

[Speaker 0]: I think we had multiple organizations come in to speak to this statement.

[Kate Nugent (Member)]: Yes, all supporting the value.

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: The next one was NOFA, and that's the organic farmers. Dollars 500,000 funding to strengthen Vermont farm viability and to address food security by sustaining their programs of PropCash Plus and FarmShare. And that is within a human services budget, so if your area is human services, which I'm not sure who that might be, you might want to verify that because I don't believe we actually have a budget letter from NOFA. So, do we have somebody with Human Services? It is B-three hundred according to the spreadsheet. Okay, we've got to jump in, so we'll have to figure out who that is. I'll just make a note of that. Services is Bob Hooper, who has NOFA. Yeah, that's just a big way that that changes. Okay, moving on, the retirement division of, this was from the treasurer's office. They requested no funds, is my understanding, but they wanted a couple of new positions. Does anybody And they were not faced by already existing

[Speaker 0]: Yes. And that is in the bill that we

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: Right.

[Robert Hooper (Member)]: And the money for anything that deals with retirement administration comes out of the fund.

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: So it's self funding? Yeah.

[Robert Hooper (Member)]: Right. We end up putting it back in. If

[Lucy Boyden (Clerk)]: I remember right, it was with the changes that we made for the, unclaimed property.

[Robert Hooper (Member)]: Mhmm.

[Lucy Boyden (Clerk)]: And that funding increase was going to help, was going to offset and pay for the new position, testimony that we received? Sounds right, yes. So that it would be a no cost, they just needed the authorization for more bodies.

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: And I do have a letter that was I just saw, but not sure where it went, that spoke to that. So, I think we're good on that one. Okay, so here's a question, and maybe Bob or Matt, you can address this. The retirement division on this spreadsheet and the VPIC, the Vermont Pension Investment Commission, I'm thinking that those are the two positions that we just spoke of. Is that correct?

[Speaker 0]: One was the requested VPIC that we decided to not include in the bill before we voted it out, but they're still putting it in their budget.

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: Okay, so the VPIC financial director was not in the bill, but they are still requesting this from House Appropriations. And it was they didn't ask for funding for that, is that correct?

[Speaker 0]: Well, asked for the position, not from, well, not from us, but I'm

[Robert Hooper (Member)]: confident it would be a general funding allocation. Okay. Correct me if I'm wrong about Well, it depends. The financial director physician would deal with the entire investment portfolio and would be partially paid out of plan assets, but when you get into the managing the OPEB stuff, which is different. Yeah, I think it would be state fund somehow somewhere. So there was a general funding impact.

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: I made a note of that under the amount that we did not include this position in H, whatever the bill number is, I'll have to look it up. I

[Robert Hooper (Member)]: believe was the

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: church's 6 what? 567. 567.

[Speaker 0]: Yes, I believe.

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: Thank you. But they're still asking for this position from house appropriations. Okay, so then Vermont retired state employees came in and asked for Yeah, this isn't really a budget ask, but I think we have to somehow make a recommendation. They asked for more members on board.

[Speaker 0]: Yes, that was a component of the conversation that we were discussing to possibly include in that same bill, and we opted not to. And

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: that wasn't an opt in position, except they would have been paid a per diem, correct?

[Speaker 0]: Correct, that sounds like a staff, yes, there was a per diem, is a possibility it's not.

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: Moving on For mom and veterans home. This one is complicated. We've got a lot of notes on this, but it looks like they're asking for $337,439 in general funds, which is very specific. And we probably got that from the price appropriations spreadsheet. So, Bob, do you know anything else, Rep Hooper, do you know anything else that they were asking for in terms of funding?

[Robert Hooper (Member)]: I don't think anything else, but some of this is fairly critical because it's direct patient care physicians. The agency staffing thing is recruitment is a big issue too. Mandy?

[Kate Nugent (Member)]: I gotta agree, and I I believe it also funds their budget instead of them coming back for a budget adjustment, just what they've had to

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: do in the past. And last year,

[Kate Nugent (Member)]: we fully funded it so they wouldn't have to do a budget adjustment every year. So I think this funds the budget

[Speaker 0]: in full. So for clarification, what you're saying is in past budgets, they would be below ask and then have to come back for budget adjustment to screw it up.

[Robert Hooper (Member)]: Depending on what finance and management does. Yeah.

[Speaker 0]: Okay. After we But the cycle seems to be, or at least in the moment to fully funded prevents that sort of, like, repetitive step.

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: I believe so. Yes. Okay. Yes, so now I just pulled up the letter from Melissa Jackson, who is the CEO of the Vermont Veterans Home. Their total budget is approaching $31,000,000 And this is the only request that's different outside of that, so that they won't have to, exactly what you said, won't have to come back for a budget adjustment, hopefully. Right. So that one, definitely have the next one on the next page, the Attorney General's request. We did not receive a letter from them, my college, unless other committee members got the letters. You just forwarded it to me. It's under your name. Kate? I think it

[Kate Nugent (Member)]: was not just, but yet. Yes.

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: February 3. So last week, a week ago today. So the request that Rep Nugent received is $85,000 in additional base funding, conversion of a limited service position to a permanent position, And same thing for a different division for the court diversion and pretrial services, conversion of a limited service position to a permanent position. And the funding for that position is already in the attorney general's office based funding appropriation. So the attorney general's office is seeking the following additional base funding of $335,000 So we're going to have to update this next, but I'm going to take notes on this 335,000 for ongoing costs for a new legal case management system. System. I think we're gonna need to maybe hear from them about this because this is a little complicated. They want to make a transfer of $1,500,000 to cover a self funding deficit in the Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit. And using the remainder, there was a chunk of $2,000,000 from FY25 recoveries, they want to use the remainder of that $2,000,000 which would be like one point four seven zero point four seven, sorry as a one time increase in spending, already to cover increases in salaries and benefits, and for potential use to cover a possible loss of federal grant funds. So I think what they're saying is that they want to ask for another 375 and another 86,000. Was that your understanding, Rep Nugent?

[Kate Nugent (Member)]: Yes, I did not have extensive conversation about the specific So request of

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: maybe we need to hear from the attorney general's office. Yeah,

[Speaker 0]: I think that would be good. And by recoveries, what do they mean there? Is that sort of like savings from or dollars not allocated that were appropriated. Yeah. A little curious.

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: Okay. So we can have them in to talk more deeply about what this all actually means.

[Kate Nugent (Member)]: Brent Pinsonault? Have we had something at all? Had this. Of this is right at all.

[Speaker 0]: No, it's like sort of a budget memo request and no actual conversation.

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: So the next box down on your spreadsheet shows some of those costs broken out that I was just talking about. So we can have a deeper discussion with them when they come in. Vermont State Ethics Commission, we did get a memo from them, and we heard from them. And their ask was $351,382 And it's broken out for general counsel, a staff attorney, and some additional costs. So we heard from them in-depth, and we can discuss that when we have our next budget discussion. Online access network, we have heard from them several times through several different people and their memo requests that we fully fund $1,890,000 and I'm not sure this is reflected on the spreadsheet. But that is their full ask, and the reason they want the full ask is because they've been asked to roll into roll community radio into their entire budget. If they do not get the full 1,890,000.00 rolling the community radio piece into it, when cut into their existing budget. And then they've lost a certain amount, 8% or more due to lost cable revenue. And some increasing expenses. So the 540,000 that you see reflected in the amount column, we would really want to change that to 1.89, is their full ask, 1,890,000.00, and the 540,000 adds back in for what I believe the recommended budget took out, but it needs to include that 90,000 if we want to support community radio. So we'll have to have a longer So time it's

[Speaker 0]: fragmented into two, the $5.40 is off top of line item that currently exists.

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: Right.

[Speaker 0]: Or what it would be with the adjustment.

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: So the total ask is going be 1.89. But for whatever reason, it's only at 1.3 or 1.2 something right now, but they really need to recoup that extra 540,000 to be whole. So when we have our deeper budget discussion, we'll share their memos with you all again, so we can read them carefully.

[Kate Nugent (Member)]: The $540,000 is not in the conditional until they're one point something. It's to make what was in the governor's budget and to bring them up to what the original, think it's the $5.40. It's not $5.40 additional to what the 1.89 is the total

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: that you're not This

[Kate Nugent (Member)]: $5.40 is included in that one

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: Yes, point eight it is. Which also includes the 90,000 for community radio. Okay. Gotcha.

[Speaker 0]: And yes, they were very, very conscious of the fact that they were asking for a notable sum above what is existing. I believe the governor's budget recommend. I think that might have had sort of like an inflationary adjustment that carries over from the previous year, but they were just being very upfront with us that they've had a couple of variables, their operations costs that is resulting in this additional ask. And then, you know, a lot of times, for instance, is they're kind of the only game in town that keeps the public informed. Right.

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: Well, during those big flood emergencies when the power was out and you couldn't get TV or Internet. Well,

[Robert Hooper (Member)]: you think on the funding side there, they get a fee for cable, and that's how they've traditionally used a lot of their work out and a lot of their resource, but now going over to internet based TNT, it's no longer considered cable, so their funding is going down.

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: They're estimating an 8% loss, I think.

[Robert Hooper (Member)]: And you know I think people use it a lot more than most people think, in Burlington at least, You know, you get an hour or a half an hour for just about anything. You do all the election stuff. They do much community service.

[Lucy Boyden (Clerk)]: Yeah. No. I if anybody wasn't sure the date, it on, January 15, this will tip the testimony that has there as you're requesting it.

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: We also have copies of the letter that they sent us. So we can share

[Lucy Boyden (Clerk)]: out there that are curious to see it.

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: So it's on our web page on January 15. Thank you. That's helpful. And then the last one we have on the spreadsheet is, if you remember, common good Vermont came in, asked for May broken down into two pieces, 295,665 in one time funding to help nonprofits navigate federal cuts, executive orders, and policy shifts that affect service delivery, and then another $267,777 in base funding to improve non profit capacity, financial management and compliance, strengthening the state's own grant making and contracting systems. So we also have a letter from them stating the exact same thing. And then my question to the committee is, are there other funding requests before I get to a very last one that we got last night that anybody can think about that we have heard from organizations who are not represented on spreadsheet?

[Robert Hooper (Member)]: I've got libraries on my list. I reached out to them, but I haven't heard anything.

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: Okay. No, we have not heard from libraries. I have not heard anything more on my jurisdiction, which is the governor's and the lieutenant governor's office budgets. So suggestion for anybody who hasn't heard from their agency or organization, maybe check-in with your budget buddy first to see if they have heard from them. It could be that they're just asking for level funding or they're not asking for funding at all, but I can't imagine that.

[Kate Nugent (Member)]: So I have Secretary of State's office, and I know they've asked for staffing. Have you checked with your budget buddy? No, he wasn't here last week that day. He's on my list to try finding him.

[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: Okay, so there also is a link from the chair of appropriations to find our sections of the budget where the appropriations committee is putting in who they hear from. And it's on an ongoing basis because they're going to be hearing from agencies and organizations until February 13 this week. They've got two big hearings coming up where they're going to hear from people like every two minutes, they're going to hear from a new group. So after the thirteenth, that should be updated more and better. So, I'll send you the link and you can check that because then you can look at your budget section and say, oh yeah, they did ask house appropriations for $1,000,000 or 500,000 or whatever. Might be something we'll do later this week once they finish their hearings. And just so everybody knows, the budget letter is due to House Appropriations on February 26. So in the past, committees have asked for extended time to get their work done. I don't really think we can because the twenty seventh is the last day we're here until after town meeting break. So I don't want to make House approves wait until after town meeting break to get our information. So if we could have everything by the twenty sixth and send it to them, I would feel much better about that. I think we all would. It would be off of plates. So the only other thing I have, unless anybody else has heard from anyone else. No. Okay. So, the only other thing I have is Rep Wazizag wrote to us yesterday, late yesterday. And unfortunately, FEMA has denied the appeal for disaster coverage for damage done during the twenty twenty five July floods. And, The estimated damage is $1,850,000 with $1,400,000 going to the town of Or occurring in the town of Sutton alone, which is pretty mind blowing for that little town. So, ask for us is that we consider supporting the appropriation that's outlined in H-six 79, which is the all hazards flood bill in our letter of appropriations to House Appropriations Committee. So that's the only other request that I know of that we've gotten. And if anyone is listening and has contacts who they know should be asking for budget requests here in this committee to please do so in writing as soon as possible to chair, vice chair, ranking member and committee assistant. And if that's too hard to remember, just the whole GovOps committee would be great. So, that's pretty much all I have for today. We have something else on our agenda at 02:00. So, I don't know if you want us to do a little work on our sections of the budget offline.

[Speaker 0]: Yeah, I know. I think that's a good idea for right now. This is like, I mean, it's very digestible template that we have. So thank you everyone who works on that. And so, individual members of the assignments, take a look at that. Maybe Nick can help you pull that archive and take some of the budget budget memos to review. And then we'll pick work back up at 2PM for a

[Lucy Boyden (Clerk)]: dusting off one of

[Speaker 0]: the old ones tranche of Bennington town charts. And until two, yeah, it gives us about twenty three minutes to work on this and other things because there is no shortage of moving bill activity in this committee right now. Alright. Yeah. Take us off, brother.