Government
Burlington has a city council-mayor form of government. Democrats and the Progressive Party make up the majority of the council. Miro Weinberger, the current mayor, is a Democrat who was elected in 2012. The City Council has fourteen seats, which are currently occupied by seven Democrats, four Progressives (all in Ward 2 & 3), two Independents (one in each Ward 1 & 6) and one Republican (Ward 7). Peter Clavelle, Burlington's longest serving mayor, held that office from 1989 to 1993, and again from 1995 to 2006.
The large transient student population votes in local, as well as state and national elections, resulting in a considerable impact on local elections. The city signed up 2,527 new voters in the six weeks from September 1, 2008. This is the highest number for that time frame in nine years or longer.
The city was ranked "average" nationally in political involvement in 2008.
The general fund for 2011, starting July 1, 2010, was $47.976 million.
As a non-profit institution, The University of Vermont pays no real estate taxes, though like many other schools, it does make an annual payment in lieu of taxes. In 2007, the college agreed to raise this from $456,006 to $912,011 in 2010 plus a "public works" supplement rising from $180,040 to $191,004 over the same time frame.
The city maintains three parks on Lake Champlain. One is free, while the other two have parking fees.
The city owns the local cable television. In 2008, cable management tried to drop Al-Jazeera English from the lineup. This was successfully thwarted by protesters and the station was, in 2009, one of three "small cable operators" in the nation to carry this channel.
Like many Vermont municipalities, Burlington owns its own power company, Burlington Electric Department. In 2009, the department announced that it would purchase 40% of the 40 MW Sheffield wind-generated electricity when it becomes available.
In 2009, Moody's confirmed the city's bond rating at AA3, "high" quality, the second best rank.
Read more about this topic: South End Art Hop
Famous quotes containing the word government:
“There is, in fact, no law or government at all; and it is wonderful how well things go on without them.”
—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)
“I am really sorry to see my countrymen trouble themselves about politics. If men were wise, the most arbitrary princes could not hurt them. If they are not wise, the freest government is compelled to be a tyranny. Princes appear to me to be fools. Houses of Commons & Houses of Lords appear to me to be fools; they seem to me to be something else besides human life.”
—William Blake (1757–1827)
“Freedom of men under government is to have a standing rule to live by, common to every one of that society, and made by the legislative power vested in it; a liberty to follow my own will in all things, when the rule prescribes not, and not to be subject to the inconstant, unknown, arbitrary will of another man.”
—John Locke (1632–1704)