Killington, Vermont

Killington is a town located in Rutland County, Vermont . As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 1,095. The town is also home to a well-known Ski Resort of the same name.

GEOGRAPHY

According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 121.4 Km&² (46.9 Mi&² ). 120.8 km&² (46.6 mi&²) of it is land and 0.6 km&² (0.2 mi&²) of it is water. The total area is 0.47% water.

DEMOGRAPHICS

As of the Census ² of 2000, there were 1,095 people, 500 households, and 282 families residing in the town. The Population Density was 9.1/km&² (23.5/mi&²). There were 2,528 housing units at an average density of 20.9/km&² (54.2/mi&²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.63% White , 0.37% African American , 0.09% Native American , 0.64% Asian , 0.00% Pacific Islander , 0.00% from Other Races , and 1.28% from two or more races. 0.91% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 500 households out of which 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were Married Couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.6% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the town the population was spread out with 20.5% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 33.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 115.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $47,500, and the median income for a family was $60,125. Males had a median income of $36,618 versus $27,368 for females. The Per Capita Income for the town was $32,066. 7.0% of the population and 6.4% of families were below the Poverty Line . 12.6% of those under the age of 18 and 1.7% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

POLITICAL ISSUES

In protest against what at least two thirds of voting residents consider unjust treatment from the state of Vermont in tax and tourism development matters, Killington voted in March 2004 (and again in March 2005) to pursue Secession from Vermont and admission into the state of New Hampshire , which lies 25 miles to the east. {Link without Title}

Supporters claim that the townspeople pay the state $10 million per year in Property Tax es and $10 million a year in Sales Tax es (as well as Income and other taxes), but receive only $1 million a year to help fund their school system. In the words of Town Selectman Butch Findeisen , "There is a point where sharing turns to looting." Others dispute many of the town's claims:

The town manager would love to tell you how many millions of dollars Killington sent to the state. Well many of those millions of dollars are sales and rooms and meals taxes. Those weren’t sent from Killington to the state. They were sent from tourists and others that were in Killington and were required to pay taxes levied by the state of Vermont.

School funding has long been a matter of contention in Vermont, primarily centering around the substantial disparity in ability to fund schools through property taxes, between towns with large Grand List s and those with small ones. In 1997 , the Vermont Supreme Court , in the case of Brigham V. State , decided that the disparity was such as to unconstitutionally deprive children in poorer towns of equal opportunity to an education. The court left it to the Legislature to come up with a remedy. The legislature responded by passing a highly controversial law known as Act 60 . This law provided for a state-wide school property tax, per-pupil Block Grant s, and sharing of tax revenue from property weathy towns to property poor towns. Act 60 was revised in 2003 by Act 68 , but retains the state-wide property tax. It is as a result of these pieces of legislation that Killington pays more property tax to the state than it gets back directly in the form of block grants. The extent to which a town like Killington may receive benefits in addition to the block grant, such as possibly lower social welfare costs and higher worker productivity as a result of a better educated population in the state, as well as from general state services (such as highway maintenance, tourism promotion, etc.), is less easily quantified.

An Economic Study commissioned by the town determined Killington would save a minimum of $7 million per year, excluding individual state income tax savings. Copies of this study were distributed at the 2004 Town Meeting and are available from the town clerk's office.

The town also claims to have suffered long term problems with restrained development under the state's Act 250 environmental law, which, in an attempt to control unrestrained growth and to balance the interests of developers and their neighbors, set up a system of environmental review boards, in which those affected by the planned development can challenge a proposed development plan. Supporters claim the expense of dealing with this has led Killington Ski Resort to have the highest Lift Ticket prices in the country. Supporters further claim that the state of Vermont has steadfastly refused to redress the grievances of the town and its people, and that their own state legislator, who represents Killington and Mendon, Vermont refuses to stand up for the town's interests.

On March 2 , 2004 200–300 residents voted, by voice vote, for the Secession proposal passing it by a wide margin. On March 1 , 2005 , the measure was passed again, this time by ballot, with nearly 2/3 voting in favor.

The legal decision will be made by the states of Vermont and New Hampshire and the requires that when the boundaries of existing states are altered, the action requires the consent of the legislatures of all states involved, as well as of Congress . While the New Hampshire House has approved a bill establishing a commission to meet with a similar Vermont commission, which has been approved as "Ought To Pass" by a State Senate committee for a full Senate vote, the Vermont legislature is not generally expected to consent without an expensive federal court battle. In 2005, Vermont state Reps. Mark Young (R-Orwell) Richard Marron (R- Stowe ) and Kathleen Keenan (D- St. Albans City ) introduced House Bill 426 that would require Killington to pay "exit fees" to reimburse the state for "stranded assets of the state, including those relating to education, transportation, and public service". The legislation would also strip Killington residents of all benefits of Vermont resident status, including instate tuition and tuition assistance.

EXTERNAL LINKS

Killington Vermont Official Town Website

Killington Message Board

Vermont.com Guide to Killington

Killington Ski Resort

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Killington, Vermont