Burlington Select Board Adopts FY26 Tax Rate, Limits Residential Bill Increase to $355

BURLINGTON -- November 17, 2025, Burlington Select Board votes 5-0 to adopt split residential tax factor, holding average single-family bill increase to $355 for FY26. The board chose Option A at its November 17 meeting, setting a residential factor of 58.3195 percent against a total assessed value of nearly $10.5 billion and an estimated levy of $156 million, keeping Burlington's average bill of roughly $7,088 well below the statewide average of $7,475 and the comparable-community average of $10,433. Finance staff warned that the new police station will add approximately $150 to the average bill starting next year, with the Fox Hill project following shortly after, and urged preserving the shift near 173 rather than pushing to the legal maximum of 175 to retain future flexibility. Board members Michael Espejo and James Tigges both invoked Saturday's failed high school ballot measure as evidence that residents are reaching a financial breaking point, with Espejo calling on every town department to "tighten up our belts." The board also appointed five residents to the Scholarship Committee and authorized a temporary Bedford Street lane closure for the November 22 Turkey Trot.