Dylan’s Priorities
Time to put affordability first.
If I have the honor to be elected and serve you in Montpelier, I’ll be seeking new and creative ways to lower household costs for everyday Vermonters.
Build More housing
Vermont is facing an acute housing shortage. We simply don't have enough housing to support a healthy population of workers and families. Since COVID, the cost of housing across the state has skyrocketed. Higher mortgages for prospective homebuyers and higher monthly payments for renters. If you've spent any time on Vermont's Zillow map like I have, you probably have seen the same startling snapshot. If you are looking for a place to live in this state your options are scarce, outdated, or over budget. People are leaving the state because they can't find suitable housing - but it doesn't have to be this way.
If I’m elected to serve in the state legislature, I’ll be a strong advocate for housing construction. We need to reduce regulations that slow down building and make it more costly. We need to prevent harmful legislation like the Road Rule from encroaching on rural development. We need to honor private property in our maps and through “by-right” housing. To secure a prosperous future for all Vermonters, we need to take bold action on housing. The status quo just isn’t good enough.
Reverse Vermont’s population decline
Vermont's population decline in recent years is directly related to rising costs. Our young people are unable to find affordable housing, leaving for elsewhere, and not coming back. Our seniors on fixed income are being slammed by steeply rising property taxes. I've talked with Vermonters of all ages about the costs they face to live in Vermont, and how much cheaper it could be for them to move elsewhere. Vermont is a beautiful place for so many reasons - a place people want to live in. We should make sure everyone who wants to call our state home can.
The day I step foot in the statehouse I’ll be committed to lowering the cost of living in Vermont in order to attract and retain residents. The fiscal health of Vermont will rely on its ability to retain working age people. We can plan for a future without them - submitting to our failures of the past and present: fewer schools in hollow towns, fewer shops on fewer main streets - or we can imagine a more abundant future for ourselves, where we share our costs amongst a healthy community of workers, homeowners, and renters. Where our kids can plan their futures without forking over a third of their income to live on their own. Where town meeting day is an exciting opportunity to fund our town’s next generation of learners, not the last straw in a make-or-break decision to stay or to go. In the Vermont I will fight for, workers and families come first, every time.
Transform education
The rising cost of education is the primary driver of property taxes. Costs have increased drastically as classroom sizes have dwindled and test scores have dropped. Something isn't working. I spent my entire K-12 education in two Vermont public schools and understand deeply how committed our teachers and staff are to helping our students succeed. As a former substitute teacher myself, I've seen some of the challenges facing our schools firsthand. We've got to bend the curve on rising costs and get back to gold standards in our classrooms.
In order to represent our community, I’ll make sure any policies that come from Montpelier have the schools of our district front-of-mind. Windsor, Hartland Elementary, and Albert Bridge all deserve a strong advocate in policy conversations. As a proud graduate of Hartland Elementary, I know what effective education looks like. Lawmakers must empower teachers, seek to fill our classrooms, and equip our schools with proper resources - not close them down. Our kids and the taxpayers who support them deserve better. We need to change course.
Improve Access to Healthcare
Vermonters pay some of the highest healthcare costs in the country. Since the Trump Administration has stopped funding ACA premium subsidies, more Vermonters are making the hard decision to give up health insurance altogether. The rising costs are driving up education and household costs across the state, and Vermont's sparse population and rural geography pose unique challenges to accessing care that will require unique solutions.
The state of Vermont needs young residents enrolled in insurance to balance the risk pool. We need housing for nurses and doctors who want to live here - but can’t find homes. We need to invest in preventative and primary care statewide so that our neighbors aren’t going without the care they need. More routine checkups mean fewer expensive emergency room visits and surgeries. It’s good for our health, our pockets, and our first responders. If I’m honored with your vote on August 11th, I’ll be focused on making sure healthcare is affordable, accessible, and actually helping us to live healthier and happier lives.
Support a livable landscape
Vermonters have a long tradition of living on the land. Our farmers and foresters are some of our best land stewards, and we need to empower them to continue that work. I come from a family of foresters and a community of farmers who define all that makes our state special. When we view people and land as coexisting, what we can achieve for our state can be truly remarkable. When we view people and land at odds, as has been the case more recently, we undermine rural communities and the people who understand the environment best.
I’m an avid outdoorsman, and I’ll be taking that experience with me to Montpelier if I have the privilege to serve you there. Vermont is at its best when everyday Vermonters can enjoy the outdoors, when our small family farms are able to thrive economically, and when environmentalism partners with rural communities. We need to make land livable for everyday Vermonters, not just the wealthy and second-homeowners. It is this livable landscape that defines Vermont’s history and culture and must define its future if we hope to make it a place for everyone.
