Courtney Lamdin

Vermont

Burlington Reporter at Seven Days

Covering Burlington for @sevendaysvt. Recovering perfectionist, perpetually in search of balance.

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Articles

In review: Property tax increase, tax credit package, Burlington's budget worries

1 week ago | vermontpublic.org | Calvin Cutler |Courtney Lamdin

Lawmakers hold property tax increases to 1%, after a nearly $120 million infusion of one-time surplus funds. Plus, the Vermont House advances a tax credit package that includes long sought exemptions for military pensions. And Burlington wrestles with a budget deficit and difficult financial decisions. Subscribe to the Vermont This Week podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.
Burlington Lays Off 18 City Workers to Help Close Budget Gap

1 week ago | sevendaysvt.com | Courtney Lamdin

click to enlarge Eighteen Burlington city workers are being laid off as part of Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak's plan to narrow an $8 million gap in next fiscal year's budget, her office announced on Friday. Seven other vacant positions will be cut, for a total of 25 reductions across multiple city departments, a city press release said.
Burlington's Money Woes Are Forcing Difficult Decisions

1 week ago | sevendaysvt.com | Courtney Lamdin

click to enlarge Help us pay for in-depth stories like this one by becoming a Seven Days Super Reader. For the second year in a row, the City of Burlington is grappling with a multimillion-dollar hole in its budget — a gap that threatens to become a perennial problem.
Seven Days | Vermont's Independent Voice

1 week ago | sevendaysvt.com | Courtney Lamdin

If you're looking for "I Spys," dating or LTRs, this is your scene.
Burlington Adopts Zoning to Encourage Higher Ground Move

1 month ago | sevendaysvt.com | Courtney Lamdin

click to enlarge Higher Ground is one step closer to moving to Pine Street in Burlington, thanks to a zoning change adopted by city councilors on Monday night. The new rules remove the previous 5,000 square foot size limit on performing arts centers on Pine Street. The restriction would have prevented Higher Ground from considering a move, as the company previously eyed a space more than twice that size.
A 6-Year-Old Raises Cash to Buy Coats, Supplies for Homeless

1 month ago | sevendaysvt.com | Courtney Lamdin

click to enlarge On one of the coldest days this winter, Lindsay Foreman was driving through downtown Burlington and saw two people wearing tattered clothing and shivering on a street corner. Foreman's 6-year-old daughter, Juno, piped up from the back seat. "Why are they standing so still?" she asked. The people were cold, Foreman told her, and likely lived outside.
Main Street Construction Is Hurting Burlington Businesses

1 month ago | sevendaysvt.com | Courtney Lamdin

click to enlarge Heavy machinery clanked and rattled on Burlington's Main Street one afternoon last week, as it has every week for more than a year. Hard-hatted workers stuck shovels into a hole near the intersection with South Winooski Avenue, a popular approach to downtown. Near the Church Street intersection, a dump truck was parked behind a bright orange sign. "ROAD CLOSED," it warned — as if anyone needed a reminder.
In Annual Address, Mayor Reflects on 'Resilient' Burlington

1 month ago | sevendaysvt.com | Courtney Lamdin

click to enlarge Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak delivered a State of the City address on Monday that reaffirmed her commitment to public safety, housing and climate change. The 42-minute speech, full of thank-yous and acknowledgements, struck a positive tone despite the myriad challenges the city faces. “Our city is resilient. There is so much exciting and meaningful work under way,” she said.
Progressive to Challenge Burlington City Council President

1 month ago | sevendaysvt.com | Courtney Lamdin

click to enlarge Burlington City Councilor Carter Neubieser (P-Ward 1) is running for city council president. The first-term councilor said on Wednesday that he is challenging sitting Council President Ben Traverse (D-Ward 5), who has held the post for the last year.
Burlington Democrats Talked Shop — and Gossiped — on Group Text

1 month ago | sevendaysvt.com | Courtney Lamdin |Matthew Byrne

Over the past year, Democrats on the Burlington City Council routinely used a group chat to discuss city business, coordinate votes and gossip about their Progressive colleagues — including during public meetings, a Seven Days analysis has found. Most of these conversations, among a voting majority of a public body, would typically run afoul of Vermont's Open Meeting Law. In their texts, the councilors themselves questioned whether their conversations were legal.