LETTER: Vermont can’t afford another year of drift

June 2, 2026

To the Community:

Waterbury knows what it means to build, rebuild, and keep going. But even the most resilient communities can’t outrun statewide trends forever. Vermont’s workforce is shrinking. Our tax burden keeps rising. Housing is scarce. Healthcare costs are out of control. And yet, this year’s legislative session offered little more than short‑term patches.

The Legislature spent months debating how to soften the blow of rising education taxes — without ever addressing why those taxes keep rising in the first place. They acknowledged the need for different tax treatment of non‑homestead properties but offered no strategic plan for how to use that revenue structure to relieve pressure on working Vermonters.

Meanwhile, the core drivers of our affordability crisis remain untouched. We cannot stabilize our economy without tackling housing supply, healthcare inflation, and the overall tax burden on year‑round residents. These issues are interconnected, and solving one requires addressing all three.

Vermont needs a long‑term strategy, not another year of drift. We need to align our policies with the people who live and work here every day, not with the status quo that has led us to the bottom of national rankings for economic momentum.

This is not about blame. It’s about course correction. It’s about building unity around a shared goal: a Vermont where working families can thrive, not just hang on.

If we continue to govern the same way, we will continue to get the same results. Waterbury deserves better. Vermont deserves better.

Gabe Lajeunesse

Montpelier

Gabe LaJeunesse is a Democratic primary candidate for the Vermont Senate, Washington District.