Vermont Realtors® has launched Knowmorevt.com, a website designed to educate all Vermonters about the urgent need to reduce education spending and present possible alternatives to the current system.
The “Know More” initiative is part of a public awareness campaign that began in late 2013 when VR was awarded a grant from the National Association of Realtors® to conduct a study of Vermont’s education spending system and property taxes. The study was conducted by Art Woolf and Richard Heaps of Northern Economic Consulting. The results of the study were released in January 2014.
“The report examined spending patterns since the enactment of Act 60 and the decline in student enrollment,” said Vermont Realtors® CEO Isaac Chavez. VR released the report during a press conference at the Vermont Statehouse in January 2014. “We wanted this issue to to be in the forefront from the beginning of the legislative session,” said Chavez. “In addition, we felt that Vermonters should know the facts about our education spending system so that they could make informed decisions when it came time to vote for school budgets on Town Meeting Day.”
On Town Meeting Day, voters rejected 35 school budgets, the highest number in a decade.
In August, 2014, Vermont Realtors® commissioned American Strategies, Inc. to conduct a statewide telephone survey of registered Vermont voters to gauge their attitudes about the state’s education spending system and property taxes. 76% of the survey respondents stated that property taxes are too high.
“The survey results confirmed what we already suspected, that Vermonters are not happy with the current system and that they want change,” said Chavez.
Results of the survey were released to statewide media prior to the November 2014 Vermont elections. “We felt that it was important for Vermonters to have the information they needed about this important issue so that they could make their voice heard during the 2014 elections,” said Chavez.
Knowmorevt.com
How you can help
The “Knowmorevt.com” campaign is designed to help educate Vermonters about the facts surrounding Vermont’s education spending system and its impact on property taxes in the state. By garnering support from Vermonters, Vermont Realtors® hopes to effect positive change on this issue. The campaign is supported by a grant from the National Association of Realtors®.
Here’s how Realtors® and others can help.
Click here to get involved. From here you can:
- Share information with your friends with just one click
- Contact your legislators
- Subscribe for updates from knowmorevt.com