statements from 2024 btv town meeeting day progressive caucus candidates
emma mulvaney-stanak: Mayor of burlington
My name is Emma Mulvaney-Stanak and I am excited to ask for your vote to be the Progressive nominee to become the next mayor of Burlington. I have lived in Burlington nearly my entire adult life. I am a small business owner, the wife of a city employee, a former Burlington city councilor, a Vermont state representative, a former labor organizer, and the mom to two young kids. I am running for Mayor because this election represents a turning point for Burlington. I have built my career on collaboration, deep listening, and tenacious problem solving. These are the skills and values that Burlington deserves today.
This is an incredible city. Yet we also face serious challenges as we see a rise in substance use disorder, an increase of unhoused people on our streets, and a lack of mental health care. Too many of our neighbors are suffering and too many are unsafe. We have the opportunity to address these challenges and make Burlington a place that supports all residents. I have dedicated my career to making our world more equitable, while ensuring that everyone is safe and feels a sense of belonging.
I am a proud Progressive. I am seeking the Progressive nomination for mayor because I believe that the core economic, social, and environmental justice values of the Progressive Party are the values that our city needs most today. Since I announced my candidacy I continue to meet with voters across the city, and regardless of political affiliation, these values are shared among our neighbors.
As mayor, I will focus on three core policy areas: Community Safety, Affordability, and Livability for People and Planet. I encourage you to read my platform at www.emmaformayor.com to learn more about the details of each of these important policy areas.
I am excited and hopeful for the election ahead. It will be our first where all residents, regardless of citizenship status, can vote in local matters. We will have ranked choice voting for all elected positions, including mayor. And we have a historic opportunity to elect the first woman and out LGBTQ+ person to the role of mayor.
Now is the time to increase community engagement and connection. As mayor, I will listen to you and ensure you have what you need to thrive. I am excited to step into this race to lead this incredible city forward. Thank you for your consideration to be the Progressive nominee for mayor of Burlington.
In It Together!
State Representative Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, Ward 3
gene bergman: City Council - Ward 2
I am seeking the Ward 2 Progressive caucus’ endorsement for re-election to the City Council. Two years ago, when I asked for your support to fill Max Tracy’s seat, I said our city’s “long arc of its moral universe” bends towards justice (as Dr. King preached) but it has not been a smooth, continuous bend. My last 2 years as city councilor convince me I was right. We’ve made some progress but it has been far too limited. This has been especially true under Mayor Weinberger and with the loss of two Progressive seats on the council last year.
Two years ago, I was supported by residents who wanted a councilor who would work with the community to stand up to injustice and greed. This is what I did before I was elected. And truth be told, I’m proudest of this work: walking UVM support staff picket lines, sponsoring and guiding passage of the council resolution supporting the Medical Center Support Staff union in their contract negotiations, organizing with community organizers to promote an independent police discipline board, and working with climate activists on the F35s emissions resolution, the carbon fee ordinance, and McNeil. But we still have much to do. The list from the McNeil and VTANG issues alone will give us all a lot to do over the next two years.
Two years ago, I called for a new direction on housing. What we’d done to address high rents, low vacancy rates, and growing houselessness was clearly not enough. My experience in the last two years tells me it still isn’t.
Our housing shortage continues unabated but I have been pushing for and believe we have a real chance to make UVM to build enough housing to significantly reduce the under-housing of its students. We adjusted our Inclusionary Zoning law and rezoned the parking lots off Lakeside Ave. in the South End to encourage more affordable units and more housing generally. Our work with community activists and other councilors on a new encampment policy to prevent new “Sears Lane” debacles was not supported by the majority of the council but with the leadership of Joe Magee we did site the pod community on Elmwood Ave. But with exorbitant rents and growing houselessness there is clearly more to be done.
Two years ago, I called for a greater focus on affordability and progressive alternatives to the property tax. The reappraisal debacle showed the need to tackle high municipal property taxes, taxes that are not tied to income like the education part of our tax bills are. This year I tried to, but could not, stop an unnecessary increase in the street tax and pay for the needed work with funds that were just sitting in an unused fund. For two years I pushed the Mayor to advance alternatives to the property tax; this year he included funds to study minor aspects of the problem. Clearly, there is more to be done.
Two years ago, I called for transformational change in public safety policies and programs. While I’m disappointed that the independent police oversight proposal failed last town meeting, I’m heartened that the majority of voters in Wards 2 and 3 supported the proposal. Now I am working with Councilors Hightower and Grant to expand the oversight powers of the Police Commission to empower this community body to audit and monitor the BPD and end the chief’s sole authority over discipline. We have a Dec. 11 deadline to pass the needed charter change language for the March ballot.
Two years ago, I also spoke of the need for a more comprehensive public safety system with a greater reliance on mental health, addiction, and recovery professionals and health, economic, education, and social programs to deal with the root causes of our safety problems. Without this comprehensive approach all the work I supported to increase the number of officers and create a well-resourced, well-supported, well-trained, and accountable police force will continue to be woefully insufficient.
We’ve made some progress: supports for the Elmwood pods, staffing up of the BPD’s Crisis, Advocacy, and Intervention Programs, and approving the new Fire Department Community Response Team. But we’ve failed to stand up enough harm reduction services, including overdose prevention centers, drug checking, safe syringe programs and the medically-focused Crisis Assessment, Response, and Engagement Service at the BPD. Clearly there is more to be done.
Two years ago I said climate catastrophe awaits us, our children, and grandchildren if we don’t break free from the fossil fuel economy. I called for us to transform the way people travel within the city, increasing bus ridership, electric cars, biking, and walking. And I also said that a just and equitable future cannot be built on the backs of the people with the least resources.
I’m proud of the things I’ve done to fight climate change. I spearheaded supports for No. Winooski Ave. businesses to cushion the impacts of eliminating parking there as we expand the bike lanes that make biking safer. I led the effort to tie eliminating parking minimums for developers to the requirement they provide transportation demand management options to increase alternative ways of getting around. And we placed requirements on BED to reduce stack emissions at McNeil by 25% in 5 years and 50% in 10 years. Still, given the enormity of the crisis, this is clearly not enough.
Two years ago, my spouse and partner, Wendy Coe, said my prior record as a city councilor when Bernie and Peter Clavelle were mayors and my experience as a 20 year city attorney would help me make the city better. It clearly helped me guide the democracy charter changes for “all legal resident voting” and “ranked choice voting” to adoption. It helps me help residents navigate city departments, programs, and services. So I’m thankful I’ve had the opportunity to do the good work Wendy thought I would.
I hope you will give me the chance to serve another 2 years endorsed by the Burlington Progressive Party. Together we can make another, better, world possible. Thanks. Gene
carter neubieser: city council - ward 1
I’m running because I love Burlington. This is the community where I graduated college, where I have started my career, where I bought my first home, and where I've spent the last decade working to make local government more responsive to the needs of working families and our planet.
Now we're facing some really tough economic, environmental, and social challenges, and I want to use my experience to address them.
An affordability crisis that is driving working and middle class people out of their homes and making our city a playground for the wealthy.
A climate crisis that is poisoning the air we breath, flooding the intervale, and preventing us from using our lake because of increased toxic algae blooms.
A public safety, substance use, and houselessness crisis that is sowing mistrust among neighbors, and making our city feel less safe and less livable.
Extreme political rhetoric from our city leadership that isn’t bringing us together, but instead driving us further apart.
A lack of involvement from constituents in making policy decisions.
These challenges can make us feel overwhelmed and powerless. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. These problems didn’t fall from the sky - they are a result of human decisions and can be solved through better, more holistic choices. But this change will not happen until we demand better from our political leaders - we must come together as neighbors around a shared agenda that prioritizes working families, our planet, and those communities too often left behind by the political system.
To volunteer, donate, and learn more about our vision for Burlington visit CarterforBTV.com - thanks in advance!
Lee Morrigan: City Council - Ward 7
Dear Neighbors,
As we rapidly approach the Progressive caucus, I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself to you, and hopefully shed some light on my priorities, and what motivates me to do this work. Throughout my entire life, there has been a thread of service. From a very early age, I have known that I wanted to serve my community and build a better world. My elementary school was named after a man whose life continues to impact my work, Jonathan Daniels, a civil rights hero who made the ultimate sacrifice while registering Black voters after the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Growing up attending Jonathan Daniels Elementary, hearing his story and values, and seeing his pictures everyday in the halls, helped shape how I saw the world. There was a common good and I would be on that side.
My story is not an easy one to tell. My biological parents have challenges that made parenting very difficult for them. My mother was a single mom for a large part of my childhood, and we lived paycheck to paycheck. Like many Vermonters, myself and members of my family have struggled with substance use disorder. As a Queer and Trans person, I have not been fully accepted by my family. I have been the odd one out, and when folks talk about being a voice for the voiceless, I have been with the voiceless. I have seen the brutality of our systems and also the decency of people in an almost inexplicable way. As someone who is in recovery and formerly unhoused, I know the interlocking challenges we face intimately. I’ve worked in the healthcare field most of my adult life, covering a lot of roles, including working as an EMT and working specifically with folks who have developmental disabilities. Having both my own experiences and also seeing so many folks go through the healthcare system, what I know is when we get the right resources to the right people, and build a system that works for all, change is possible.
That’s my background, but my story is centered here, in Burlington. I came to the Queen City for the first time when my previous job ended. When I visited Burlington for the first time as a trans non-binary person, I felt safe in a way I never had before. Burlingtonians embraced me and encouraged me to pursue my passion for civic engagement. Before too long, I fell in love in Burlington. My husband and I have made our home in the New North End, and since then, this community has been there for me and I have shown up for my community. As I became more interested and involved in community building, organizing, and local government, I also joined the Progressive Party. I’ve been doing healthcare advocacy most of my adult life and the Progressive commitment to healthcare as a human right drew me to the party.
I’ve been doing the work in our community, reaching out to voters and talking to my neighbors. It’s not the first time I’ve leaned into a chance to make Burlington a better place. We know that as our Trans and Queer communities become more vibrant, reactionary forces will seek to put us down and discriminate. When I experienced discrimination in my NPA, I didn’t sit there and hope it would get better. I went to my city councilors; I organized and worked with the administration to address this critical gap in our policies. In October, a resolution passed unanimously to combat transphobia and all forms of discrimination in our NPAs. I saw, once again, the amazing potential of Burlington to have a responsive government when we use our voice and work together.
Currently, I proudly serve as the Vice Chairperson of the Parks and Recreation Commission in my second term, appointed by the council in a bi-partisan effort. On the Parks and Recreation Commission, I’ve focused on addressing public safety in our parks – finding creative ways to address the crises that we face in Burlington. I’m collaborating with our first responders to find innovative ways to deal with syringe litter. Our parks are places for everyone and I’ve worked to ensure they remain accessible to all members of the community.
Right now, we are building a movement in Ward 7 to take on the powerful few and we can only do that going forward together. This is not about looking around and focusing on the differences we may have with others, this is about looking up and seeing the systemic inequities we have that continue to make housing less affordable, our planet less healthy, and our families less safe. This is about building solidarity with each other and understanding that we cannot make change from the top on down, but from the bottom up.
We can do this. We can build a better Burlington. In the face of immense challenge, we stand up and reject bigotry and pessimism. I remain optimistic, despite our challenges. I am running for Burlington City Council in Ward 7 seeking both the Progressive and Democratic nominations this year because I know, together, we can lean in, organize, and create a better world, with the Queen City taking the lead. I know we can get immediate healthcare resources to our citizens and create a public safety environment that supports all our people. I know we can empower our labor movement and protect our planet. I know we can go forward together, building bridges between neighbors, while standing up to the powerful interests. Someone like me has never won in the New North End. This is a historic campaign, and I’m so glad you’re with me. Let’s go forward together.
With appreciation
Lee Morrigan (they/them)
