Snow has arrived here in Essex Junction! Thank you to Public Works for keeping our streets and sidewalks clear.

The Council was busy in December, mostly with budget planning for the next fiscal year. Here's a quick summary (from my perspective) of what we were up to in December.

Overview
December was about long-term planning: budget priorities, how the City governs itself, and how Essex Junction will grow over the next decade.

Budget Day
Council kicked off work on the FY27 budget with a full day of getting presentations from each department. We reviewed early numbers, looked at tax impacts, and invited public input.

The first draft includes a ~4.4% increase over the FY26 budget, which roughly translates to an increase of $124 / year on a $280k home.

Council also discussed ways to get more feedback and input from the community. One way is the Open House and Chili Cookoff on Saturday, January 31, from 11:30 AM to 2 PM, where the Council will be available to answer questions about the budget and ballot items.

Stay tuned for more ways to meet with the Council and give us your input.

Governance Committee
The Governance Committee wrapped up its work as specified in the post-separation City Charter. It was an honor to work with such a dedicated group of citizens and volunteers.

The committee did not recommend wards nor an elected mayor. But we did recommend modest stipend increases for councilors and a comprehensive charter review every 12 years.

(I and Councilor Haney abstained from the votes on our own stipends in the committee.)

Connect the Junction (including height limits)
Council adopted the “Connect the Junction” Transit-Oriented Development Plan. The plan will set the stage for denser, transit-oriented development in the City Center and Pearl Street Corridor. Two topics in the plan include building heights, and the configuration of the five-corners intersection.

The plan allows for building up to 10 stories, where most of our public transit exists. In practice, this means mostly along Pearl Street.

The 10-story limit is not yet final. This plan is a first step in updating the Land Development Code to allow for them. These changes will undergo additional review and public input if they are to be formally adopted by both the Planning Commission and City Council.

Postmarked Payments for Taxes
The City now allows postmarks as proof of on-time delivery for tax payments. Turns out, the city was doing this wrong. State law requires us to accept postmarked date as when your payment was received unless we put that question to the voters to change it. The pre-separation Town of Essex had done so, but not the City.

Council was divided about whether we should put that question on the ballot for April. My $0.02 is we should solve for what's easier for taxpayers unless it's a huge burden for staff, so I think we should continue to accept postmarks.

That said: the US Postal Service is a mess. Therefore, if a tax deadline is approaching I recommend trying one of these payment options:
1) dropping your payment off in person
2) using the drop box at 2 Lincoln St
3) waiting in line at a post office and making sure they stamp your envelope with a postmark

Updated Traffic Calming Policy
A new traffic calming policy was adopted, which allows for more engineering-related ways the City can help slow down traffic, such as speed bumps, raised crosswalks, and chicanes. Our goals here are to get community feedback, help slow down traffic, and improve neighborhood safety.

Conclusion
The reflections above are mine, and do not necessarily represent the views of the City nor the Council.
If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please reach out to myself or one of my fellow Councilors.

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Brian Shelden
City Councilor, Essex Junction
bshelden@essexjunction.org
(802) 879-7665