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"Some Burlington residents are worried about the prospects of a 10 percent property tax increase.Tuesday night, the school board was scheduled to vote on its $67 million budget, which would bring an increase of more than 7 percent. That could bring a property tax hike of more than 10 percent.The city's school board says it needs more money for things like keeping up with increased enrollment, planning, development, maintenance, security, and paying down last year's budget shortfall.\"We've had lots of discussions about program goals and how they affect the students and making sure that we have the best facilities and programs in place for the students,\" said Burlington School Board Chairman Alan Matson.Some residents say while they support education, they can't afford more tax increases.Edward Wilbur, who used to work at IBM, is now retired. He also spent some time working as a teacher, and professes the value of education. But, he says, when taxes increase more than income, residents can only subsist for so long, especially for retirees on a fixed income.\"We're not in the employment market anymore where we can get good-sized raises or anything like that. We're locked in. So how can we continue to keep supporting this kind of an increase?\" said Wilbur.He said Vermonters already pay more taxes than most other Americans, and he would like to see Burlington's school district manage its finances in a way that doesn't hit taxpayers so hard.\"Do I appreciate teachers? Absolutely. They've got a really tough job and my hat's off to them. I'm not against education. It's what I, as a taxpayer, can afford; that's the issue.\"Whatever budget the school approves must still be passed by voters on Town Meeting Day in March.Using the WPTZ mobile app? Tap here for video."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.mynbc5.com/article/burlington-school-board-to-vote-on-budget/3313916>