BURLINGTON, Vt. -
In Burlington, people will decide whether to increase their taxes to help fix the city's money mess.
That has prompted signs for and against the Fiscal Stability Bond to appear around the city.
Burlington City Councilor Paul Decelles is behind an anti-bond sign. It says "A tax increase is not a fresh start," apparently mocking Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger's old campaign slogan of promising a fresh start.
"To me it's 100-percent accurate," says Decelles. "Sure it's a little bit comical."
"I don't find it comical," says Weinberger.
That's because Weinberger says the city's money situation is serious.
"As bad as it is, it's on the verge of getting much worse," says Weinberger.
Weinberger says passing the up to $9-million dollar bond will mean the city can more easily pay its bills, instead of relying on expensive short-term borrowing. He says that could help improve the city's finances.
"We do need to do something but to me this idea wasn't vetted enough," says Decelles.
Decelles calls the bond a gamble and the republican was the only city councilor to vote against putting the bond on the ballot.
"I think a tax increase and that's what this is exactly, a tax increase, should have been a last resort," says Decelles.
As for the mayor, Weinberger says he's worked hard to fix the city's money problems and sees the vote as a reflection of the job he has done.
"Now it's the public's turn to weigh in and say are we headed in the right direction?" says Weinberger.
The mayor says the money would not go to new spending or to Burlington Telecom.
The bond needs the approval of 2/3rd's of voters to pass.
