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Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak on public safety, taxes and more

A person in a red and white striped dress stands at a podium.
Liam Elder-Connors
/
Vermont Public
Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak speaks to reporters on Tuesday about the city’s plans to open an overdose prevention center

Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak joined Vermont Edition Monday to discuss her first ten months on the job and the ways in which her administration is addressing challenges like affordability and policing.

Public Safety

The Burlington City Council recently voted to remove a cap on the number of police officers in the hopes of boosting morale and improving recruitment efforts. Mulvaney-Stanak signed the resolution "with reservation."

The police force currently has 65 officers, though the city budgeted for 77 for the current fiscal year. "We're nowhere near that yet," Mulvaney-Stanak said. She said rebuilding the department will come about through the use of data and evidence on recruitment strategies. "There is a trend nationwide. Burlington is not unique. I think it's important to be focused on solutions that will work improving not only morale, but maintaining and retaining critical and high-quality officers."

ICE

The mayor addressed the city's relationship with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the new Trump administration. Like other so-called "sanctuary cities," Burlington undertakes the responsibilities of accepting and processing migrants and providing them with the resources they need to acclimate. The mayor says the Burlington Police Department is not cooperating with ICE.

Taxes

Mulvaney-Stanak says the city will not ask residents for a tax rate increase on Town Meeting Day despite the city's budget gap. "We worked all winter to make sure we didn't have to put that question on the Town Meeting Day ballot," Mulvaney-Stanak said.

Residents will still be asked to vote on three bonds that aim to address longstanding infrastructure issues. Two of the proposed bonds would address longstanding concerns with the city’s drinking water and wastewater systems. The bonds would be repaid through residents' water bills.

Broadcast live on Monday, February 3, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

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Mikaela Lefrak is the host and senior producer of Vermont Edition. Her stories have aired nationally on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, Marketplace, The World and Here & Now. A seasoned local reporter, Mikaela has won two regional Edward R. Murrow awards and a Public Media Journalists Association award for her work.