Resolution Relating to

RESOLUTION________

JUST ECONOMY CHARTER CHANGES

Sponsor(s): Councilor Freeman
Introduced: ____________________
Referred to: ____________________
______________________________
Action: ________________________
Date: __________________________
Signed by Mayor: ________________

CITY OF BURLINGTON
In the year Two Thousand Twenty …………………………………………………………………………
Resolved by the City Council of the City of Burlington, as follows:
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That

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inequality in the United States and the threats to people’s very lives due to that inequality; and

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WHEREAS, the current COVID-19 pandemic and public health emergency has exposed the rampant

WHEREAS, COVID-19 has underscored the precarious nature of the lives of working people, the

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elderly, renters, people of color, people who are disabled, gig economy workers and locally based small scale

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producers; and

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WHEREAS, COVID-19 has exposed the fragility of local governments’ finances, which are currently

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funded in large part by regressive taxes and fees that fall most heavily on these same vulnerable communities;

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and

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WHEREAS, COVID-19 has revealed specific vulnerabilities facing tenants, who make up 60% of

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Burlington residents and of whom over half are severely cost-burdened, according to the City’s 2018 Equity

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Report, and can be evicted for no cause at all under current statutes; and

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WHEREAS, COVID-19 has revealed the weak bargaining position of working people, especially

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essential workers who are not represented by unions or people in the service industry who do not have

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sufficient control over their schedules, in getting just compensation and fair working conditions because they

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are afraid of losing their jobs if they seek higher pay for doing dangerous work; and

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WHEREAS, COVID-19 has revealed that the minimum wage, even the one that will go into effect on

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January 1, 2021, is not high enough to enable people to pay Burlington rents and other essential costs, as

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evidenced by the severe cost burden suffered by tenants, and the high number of people making under

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$25,000, with some 16% of non-college residents living in poverty-- 50% higher than the national average,

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according to the City’s 2018 Equity Report; and

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WHEREAS, COVID-19 has revealed how important mutual aid, community self-organization and
involvement in all levels of governance, including the city’s finances, is to the well-being of all; and

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WHEREAS, COVID-19 has revealed that the City’s finances are insufficient without new sources of

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revenue generated from those people who are best able to pay it, people making over $125,000 per year, who

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make up some 12% of the city’s population according to the City’s 2018 Equity Report; and

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Resolution Relating to

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JUST ECONOMY CHARTER CHANGES

WHEREAS, responsible governance requires that all levels of government strengthen their systems to

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make them more resilient by doing all that they can to end or lessen these inequalities and frailties, including

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taking bold steps to create a just economy;

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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that, for the purpose of placing Just Economy charter change
questions before the voters as follows:
1. For purpose of holding a special election to be held at the same time as the November 3, 2020 general

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election in order to place a charter change question before the voters, the City Council hereby refers

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the following question amending City Charter § 48 to its Charter Change Committee for review and

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recommendation to the full City Council by the Council’s August 10th meeting:

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“Shall the Charter of the City of Burlington, Acts of 1949, No. 298 as amended, be further amended to

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allow for the adoption of “Just Economy” ordinances by adopting and adding a new § 48(66) as follows: To

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provide by ordinance (1) for protections for residential tenants from evictions without just cause and (2)

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prohibiting the wrongful discharge of employees without just cause; and

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2. For the Annual City Election in March 2021, the City Council hereby refers the following question

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amending City Charter § 48 to its Charter Change Committee for review and recommendation to the

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full City Council by the Council’s first meeting in November 2020:

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“Shall the Charter of the City of Burlington, Acts of 1949, No. 298 as amended, be further amended to

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allow for the adoption of “Just Economy” ordinances by adopting and adding a new § 48(67) as follows: To

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provide by ordinance for (1) creating a municipal income tax for residents making $125,000/year or more,

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and (2) creating a municipal luxury sales tax on residential and commercial property sales in excess of

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$500,000; and

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3. For the City Council’s first meeting in March 2021, the City Council hereby refers the following

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questions amending City Charter § 48 and § 157 to its Charter Change Committee for review and

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recommendation to the full City Council:

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“Shall the Charter of the City of Burlington, Acts of 1949, No. 298 as amended, be further amended to

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allow for the adoption of “Just Economy” ordinances by adopting and adding a new § 48(68) as follows: To

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provide by ordinance for: (1) setting a minimum wage for all workers in the city of Burlington, (2) setting

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minimum standards for employers in the city to provide their employees with a written, good faith estimate of

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the employee’s work schedule; and

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“Shall the Charter of the City of Burlington, Acts of 1949, No. 298 as amended, be further amended by

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amending § 157 to allow for the adoption of a “Just Economy” ordinance on “participatory budgeting” in

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order to authorize citizen participation in the development of the city’s budget by the mayor as follows:

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Resolution Relating to

JUST ECONOMY CHARTER CHANGES

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§ 157 Preparation and submission of budget.

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The mayor shall, with the assistance of the other members of the board of finance and citizens

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participating in a participatory budgeting process adopted by ordinance, annually prepare an estimate

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of the necessary appropriations to cover the expenses of each department and branch of the city

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government for the next fiscal year, to be known as the "budget," and shall submit said "budget" to the

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city council for its guidance and action in making the annual appropriations and the tax levy for such

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next fiscal year. The mayor shall submit the "budget" to the city council on or before June 15 of each

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year and the city council shall make the annual appropriations and the tax levy no later than June 30 of

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each year. The city council may reduce the items of such budget, but shall not increase them except by

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two-thirds vote of said city council. Wherever any appropriation, annual or otherwise, shall be made to

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any department or branch of the city government, for any specified purpose, no part of such

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appropriation shall be expended for any purpose other than the one specified, unless authorized by

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resolution of the city council or by written permission of the board of finance. Nothing herein

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contained shall authorize the board of finance to transfer any appropriation, or any part of any

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appropriation, from one department or branch of the city government to another?

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lb/EBlackwood/Resolutions 2020/City Council – Refer Just Economy Charter Changes to Charter Change Committee for Consideration as Ballot
Items
5/28/20