Latest news with #Neubieser
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Burlington City Council president and finance board members chosen: Who are they?
Two new councilors have officially taken their seats on Burlington's City Council. Democrats Ranjit "Buddy" Singh and Allie Schachter are now representing the South and East districts, respectively. Ward council seats were not up for election this year, but the five district seats were. North District's Mark Barlow and Central District's Melo Grant were both re-elected. The West District remains open, with no individual running for the seat this year. The councilors were sworn in by Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak April 7, which she then followed with her State of the City Address, one year after her own swearing in as Burlington's first woman and openly LGBTQ mayor. She spoke about her administration's accomplishments over the past year, and the focus on community safety, housing and climate. Incumbent President Ben Traverse was challenged for his seat this year by Ward 1 Progressive Carter Neubieser. The City Council president sets the agenda for the meetings and presides over said meetings. They often have to maintain order and focus during those meetings. They also serve as a key liaison between the council and the mayor. Traverse has held the position for a year and will continue to as he won the majority vote with seven "yes" votes. Neubieser and other Progressives were hoping to gain some point of power in a now unbalanced council, with Democrats gaining majority in the recent election. A new Board of Finance is voted in every year. Made up of councilors, the Board of Finance plays a major role in shaping the city's budget. The board approves spending decisions before they go to the full council, and work closely with the mayor's administration on financial planning. Out of the five-person board, the mayor and the City Council president make up two seats. The other three council members voted to the board were Neubieser, Barlow and Ward 4 Democrat Sarah Carpenter. Sydney P. Hakes is the Burlington city reporter. Contact her at SHakes@ This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Burlington City Council president named, mayor gives State of the City
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Battle for Burlington City Council President develops
BURLINGTON, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) – Less than one week before Burlington City Council's annual Organization Day, a battle for City Council President suddenly developed Wednesday afternoon. Carter Neubieser, a Progressive Councilor from Ward 1, announced in City Hall that he is hoping to take the role from current President Ben Traverse, a Democrat from Ward 5 who's held it for the past year. Traverse was widely expected to keep the presidency uncontested going into next Monday's Organization Day meeting, but the last-minute challenge from Neubieser turns that surefire reappointment into something the council will have to vote on. 'Today, I'm incredibly excited to announce my intent to seek the position of City Council President this year,' Neubieser said in Contois Auditorium Wednesday afternoon. 'If given the chance to serve in this role, I'd be laser focused on decreasing the partisanship and personal attacks and increasing the collaboration on council.' Organization Day marks the first meeting of the new Burlington City Council, and a big part of the night will also be the swearing in of newly-elected councilors who won their races on Town Meeting Day. This year, two new councilors will be sworn in: Allie Schachter, a Democrat from Burlington's East District, and Ranjit 'Buddy' Singh, a Democrat from the city's South District. Once the two new Democrats are appointed, the council split will be seven Democrats to five Progressives. That means Neubieser will need to get at least two Democrats to flip and vote for him to have any chance at winning the presidency. That fact is giving current President Traverse confidence that he will get a second term. 'I will say that I too am seeking reelection to the council presidency,' Traverse said in an interview Wednesday afternoon. 'I can also tell you that I have the support of the majority of the city council, and will be reelected as council president at the meeting on Monday. That said, I respect any councilor throwing their hat in the ring.' Traverse added that although he respects Neubieser and his right to run, he questions his decision to create a race for the presidency now if decreasing partisanship truly is one of his goals. 'If the stated reason for throwing his hat in the ring is building more collaboration and collegiality, I question whether or not teeing up this political fight right out of the gate at our first meeting is the best way to do that,' Traverse said. Other councilors from both parties are weighing in ahead of the vote as well, including veteran Progressive Melo Grant from Burlington's Central District. She shared strong words against Traverse Wednesday afternoon, writing in part in a statement: 'It is regrettable to say, but Council President Traverse has shown an epic failure in leadership. Despite the same concerns being brought to his attention multiple times, he failed to make improvements that would help … Personal attacks and interruptions have occurred too often under Councilor Traverse's leadership. As the only black councilor, this is a huge concern for me, as it also shows disrespect for my constituents.' Evan Litwin, a Democratic Councilor from Ward 7, also weighed in Wednesday afternoon, questioning what Neubieser offers that Traverse doesn't already. Litwin wrote: 'Carter and I haven't had the opportunity to speak yet, and so I'd need to hear more about his vision for our collective body and what he believes he brings to the table that President Traverse is not providing. With that said, I've grown to like working with Carter on committee and on council, and value his approach to the work and his collegiality. I also think President Traverse does an excellent job in a challenging role.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
