Common Sense Radio: Taxing Second Homes in Vermont with Ben Kinsley
Wednesday, October 14, 2026, on Common Sense Radio with Bill Sayre, weekdays, 11 o’clock till Noon.
Ben Kinsley, of Campaign for Vermont, joins Bill to discuss factors we should consider in evaluating the advisability of a special tax on Second Homes. As time allows, Ben and Bill may consider the state of educations reform — both to reduce costs and improve test scores. And as always, how best to improve the Vermont business climate, more competitive as a place where entrepreneurs and other businesses want to invest, grow, and hire. And more attractive and affordable for families, particularly young families, to live, work, and grow.
Potential Questions and Issues
What are some of the difficulties in defining valuing second homes in Vermont? Seasonal Camps. Homes that could be year round, but are not. Second homes rented long term. Second homes rented short term.
What are the factors that prompt some to think that Second Homes should be taxed differently than other properties? What might be the unintended consequences for taxing other types of property?
What are the advantages of Second Homes for Vermont’s travel and tourism industry? What might be the indirect effect on that industry, the jobs and economic activity that are part of that industry, if an increased tax were imposed upon Second Homes?
What has been the history of attempts to reduce the burden of property taxes by increasing another tax? Income Tax in ’34; Rooms and Meals Tax in ’59. Sales Tax in ’69, Statewide Property Tax in ’97. And increases in these taxes on interim years. The result is more spending, but not enduring lower property taxes.
Does this suggest that we have a spending problem, not a revenue problem? And that to improve the affordability of Vermont Government, we should focus on living within our means, and more carefully spending the tax revenue we have, rather than searching taxes to raise, or for more activities to tax?
Do many who support a special tax on Second Homes, also support a higher tax on high income earners? How would this affect the competitive ranking of Vermont’s tax structure? Some say high earners don’t pay their fair share. What is their fair share? What share do they pay now? Highest 1 percent, about 25 percent; Highest 10 percent pay more than lowest 90 percent. Some also propose a wealth tax. Do these various proposed taxes suggest an appeal to the politics of division, and class warfare?
How does Vermont today compare with other States in property taxes, education costs, and quality? Among the highest of any State in the nation for property taxes and education costs, and mediocre student test scores on student proficiency. What are the particulars, as measured by cost per student, and for student proficiency, as measured by student scores on National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP)? Proficiency in meeting the grade expectations, (in math, reading, and science) for students in 4th, 8th, and 11tgrades. If only 40 percent of students meet proficiency standards, doesn’t that mean 60 percent do not meet proficiency standards? What has been the trend in graduation rates for Vermont high school students, and how do our rates compare with those in other States? What are phantom students, and what is their connection to our system of weighting students in accord with estimated cost of educating them? English Language Learners, Poverty, and Special Needs? How are these weights determined, and who does the determining? What happens if a District, or a Supervisory Union, disagrees with a weight determined by the State? Why should Vermont have more phantom students than do other States? Don’t other States have the same factors affecting weighting, likely in many cases, more so. How do our weighting factors compare with those of the Picus Report?
What changes were made in the excess spending thresholds, and what will be there effects?
How will the compromise reform legislation address these challenges? What is the time line for these reforms?
What will happen to School Choice? What will happen to student to teacher ratios, and student to staff ratios, in small schools? And the number of Supervisory Unions, School Districts, and Schools.
What should we know about Vermont student proficiency scores? What does proficiency mean? Grade level expectation? How do we measure it? Math, Reading, Science. 4th, 8th, and 11th grades. Should we be concerned that our proficiency rates, in many cases, are below 50 percent? How does Vermont student proficiency scores compare with those of students in other States? What is happening to Vermont graduation rates? What are the factors in our decline? Proficiency declines are happening not just in Vermont, but in the nation — how do America’s student test scores compare with those in other nations? What is an IEP? What are the standards for creating an IEP for a student? How does the proportion of students with an IEP in Vermont compare with that in other States in the Nation? Could this be a factor in the high cost of Vermont education?
Why is the viability of our Vocational Centers, Career Technical Education (CTE) important to our economic potential, as well as to the best educational reform?
How do our student to teacher ratios, and student to staff ratios, compare with those in other States? What can we learn from other States that are just as rural, or more so, as Vermont, with just as much, or more, distance from home to school — that have lower costs? Such as Wyoming, Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and the rural portions of Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, and Mississippi. As our student to teacher and student to staff ratios are much lower than the national average, and than with other States, often with higher test scores, is there any way to reduce costs per student if we don’t reduce the number of teachers and staff? And, most likely, close some schools? Is it likely that a local community will vote to close their local school?
How do we measure the value and importance of offering a wide range of opportunities to student in the form of Music, Art, Drama, Foreign Languages, Advance Placement, and Sports? How much of a factors should this be determining the path of education reform in Vermont?
How do we measure the friendliness of a State’s business climate? Tax and regulatory burdens? Benefits to individuals and families? How does Vermont rank, in comparison with other States, in our tax burdens? Property taxes, income taxes, and sales taxes? How are property taxes a factor in housing affordability? Why is this particularly important for young, middle class families? What is happened to the number of working age people, in recent years? How much of a decline? How has our total population changed in the past few years? Both the natural rate of change, and migration? If Vermont businesses that want to grow, can not find employees, where do they instead grow, hire and invest? What happens to our tax base, if businesses and their potential employees invest elsewhere? How does this tend to create a self-reinforcing downward cycle? How do we break this cycle? What role can vocational education play in breaking this cycle? How do some of the trade skills that can be learned in Career Technical Education (CTE) centers help ensure a career largely insulated from foreign competition, and even, at least for now, from artificial intelligence? And also, two additional advantages — helping with the nature of Education Reform in Vermont, and also help accomplish environmental, energy, and climate goals?
What other affordability issues are important to Vermont families and businesses, and growing the economy and incomes? The costs of health insurance and health care. Energy costs and Byzantine regulation — particularly the Clean Heat Standard. Housing costs and land use regulation — particularly Act 250 reforms adverse for rural areas. Why is it important for government living with its means, and holding the line on tax rates? Growing tax revenue by growing the economy, not by increasing tax rates>. What might be the unintended consequences of targeting second homes for higher tax rates?
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