April 15, 2026

Dear legislators and Governor Scott,

We are Vermonters who have economically prospered in this state and are about to receive a tax windfall from the federal government that we did not ask for.  Due to passage of the  2025 federal tax bill (HR 1 or the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”), the top 1% of Vermont income-earners will receive an average tax cut of $57,000. 

As high income and wealthy Vermonters who care deeply about the future of our state, we are calling on the Vermont State Legislature and Governor Phil Scott to increase taxes on high earners like us and close the budget shortfalls facing the state of Vermont.

The alternative is to make further cuts to crucial state investments and basic services for working Vermonters–or increase local and state taxes on those with less capacity to pay.  Both options would be wrong and unfair.

We support legislation, currently best modeled by Vermont House Bill H. 621, that would increase income taxes by 3 percent on marginal income over $500,000 a year, and an additional 2 percent on marginal income over $1 million. This legislation would still, on average, increase taxes on Vermonters like us less than the expected federal tax cut we are set to receive.

As public signers, we call on our state elected officials to not shy away from this choice.  For every one of us who is public, there are many more who choose not to have their name listed but share our position of supporting this tax increase.

Here in Vermont, we take pride in our community spirit. We recognize that we can go further together than we can go alone, coming together to face moments of difficulty. This is one of those moments. At a time when the federal government is slashing funding that Vermonters rely on and creating fear and uncertainty in our communities – while giving huge tax breaks to Vermonters like us–we can chart a different path.

We can choose to build a future for all of us. We can choose to make needed investments now, instead of being faced by the inevitable costs of inaction down the road. We can choose to push back against the federal government’s misguided economic policies that will harm our friends and neighbors. 

We want to contribute our fair share in taxes, and we want a Vermont that works for everyone who lives here. Thank you for your consideration. 

Signed,

David Blittersdorf

Susanna Penfield

Eliza Hale

John Wyman

Sylvia Penfield

Hannah Dreissigacker

Ben Cohen

Renee Reiner

Michael DeSanto

Jeff Shumlin

Evie Lovett

Chuck Collins

Lisa Kalan

Adaline Herbert

Tiffany Bluemle

Elizabeth Shayne

Ron Miller

Barbarina Heyerdahl

John Hawkins

John Burt

Elizabeth Allen-Pennebaker

Patricia Fontaine

If you are a high-income or wealthy Vermonter who would like to add your name to the list, please contact Anika Heilweil, Fair Share for Vermont Campaign Manager, at anika@publicassets.org