Republican Vermont Gov. Phil Scott on Tuesday proposed an 8.6 billion dollar budget for fiscal year 2025

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Republican Vermont Gov. Phil Scott on Tuesday proposed an $8.6 billion budget for fiscal year 2025 and, as he has done before, urged lawmakers not to raise taxes or fees for Vermonters, saying it will be a tough budget year. The budget proposal makes investments in the priorities the governor focused on earlier this month in his state-of-the-state address: affordability, public safety and housing. “I also understand the realities of a supermajority, which means you don’t have to listen, or even consider, my priorities or objections,” he told lawmakers assembled in the House chamber for his budget address. “But I bet many of you do hear, and maybe even share, some of my concerns. More importantly, I’m pretty sure the majority of our constituents certainly do.” Scott urged lawmakers to work with the administration to fix, not just fund, the problems.