by Seth Bowden, President, Vermont Business Roundtable
Six months ago, few of us would have predicted Vermont’s gubernatorial race would be this close. But with Election Day just around the corner, polls show a strikingly competitive contest. That change is worth taking seriously; not as a sentiment about the candidates on the ballot, but as a sign of how unsettled many Vermonters feel about the state’s direction and whether we’re responding directly enough to the challenges we face.
The national political environment is part of the story, and permeates our news cycle just like anywhere else. But something deeper is happening. Vermonters are anxious for a vision of a prosperous future. They want to believe their children can afford to stay here, their communities can remain vibrant, and the next generation will inherit a state with more opportunity, not less.
That feeling is especially strong in rural areas. Vermonters don’t want to be told decline is to be managed. They want a reason to believe their communities will thrive, and they are right to expect that shared vision.
The Vermont Business Roundtable members are CEOs and employers of different sizes and industries from across the state. Yet we see a common challenge: Vermont has spent too long managing scarcity instead of creating prosperity.
If we continue on that path, the trajectory is predictable and well documented in news from around the state: an aging population with too few working-age Vermonters to replace those retiring; a shrinking tax base supporting the same essential services; and, ultimately, higher costs for families and employers. Efficiency may blunt the impact, but the state will continue to become less affordable even as we struggle to sustain the communities and institutions that make it special. That outcome leaves us with fewer and more difficult options for the things we want to say “yes” to.
There’s an uncomfortable truth here: Much of Vermont’s scarcity is self-imposed, or at least isn’t helped by our existing systems. Our housing shortage is compounded by regulations and permitting systems that make it difficult, slow, and expensive to build. Short-term decisions and one-time investments are used as bandaids instead of investments. And our ability to tackle structural challenges that unfold over decades instead of a single biennium is constrained by governing and civic structures built around short political horizons.
Because of this existing framework Vermont’s policy conversations have often started and ended with debates on how to divide limited resources, manage rising costs, and preserve some fraction of what we have.
But what if we started with a different question: What would it take to create more?
More working-age Vermonters contributing to our communities and economy. More homes so young families, nurses, and tradespeople can afford to live here. More businesses to invest and expand. More economic opportunity in rural communities. That kind of thoughtful growth should be something Vermont is laser-focused on creating.
Our workforce, housing, education, infrastructure, and economic-development challenges are deeply interconnected. We cannot attract workers without places for them to live, or build homes where we need them without infrastructure, or sustain strong schools and healthcare services without a growing tax base. And we can’t expect different results if we continue to operate within the same systems, regulations, and assumptions that helped create our challenges.
The Vermont Business Roundtable members believe it is time for a new approach. In January, we will put forward a Growth Agenda to help our state move from managing scarcity to deliberately creating workforce growth. It will focus on keeping more talented young people in Vermont, making investments that allow for housing and economic opportunity, and strengthening the systems of government that must deliver measurable and real results.
Our goal is not to propose another collection of programs or spending priorities without accountability. It is to focus on what is possible and align public investments and policy around a shared commitment to workforce growth. Vermont has no shortage of good ideas. What has been missing is a sustained commitment to align them around a common vision and change the systems that no longer work for Vermonters.
A growing workforce means more businesses and people contributing to our economy and supporting essential public services. More housing means families, seniors, and workers will call Vermont home. Stronger communities mean rural Vermont can look to the future with confidence. Without growth, we risk losing the very things we are trying to preserve.
We have to be clear-eyed that this is a long-term vision. Vermont’s workforce and affordability challenges will outlast any single election, legislature, or administration. Whatever the outcome in November, we encourage leaders of all political viewpoints to work together to keep more young people here, expand housing and economic opportunity, and strengthen the systems that help Vermont deliver outcomes, not just intentions.
The Vermont Business Roundtable stands ready to help lead that effort.
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