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Vermont State House District Addison-3 {_getChooseLabel(this.selections.length)}

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  • Candidate picture

    Joseph "Joe" Baker
    (Rep)

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    Ariel Bolles
    (D/P)

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    Rob North
    (Rep)

  • Candidate picture

    John Stroup
    (Dem)

Biographical Information

What experiences and skills uniquely qualify you for this position?

What reforms would you propose to control education costs while protecting public school quality?

How would you propose updating land-use rules and state zoning laws to spur affordable housing development while preserving Vermont’s landscapes and environment?

Campaign Phone 8027478772
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Campaign Website http://stroupforvermont.com/
Campaign Instagram URL http://www.instagram.com/stroupforvt/
Candidate For Office House of Representatives Addison-3
I have been deeply engaged in our Districts for many years. As Chair of the Addison Northwest School District Board for five years, I balanced budgets under intense pressure, navigated state policy that kept changing beneath us, made hard decisions about school configuration, led our community through pandemic, and remained accountable to voters who could see exactly what their money produced. I know how to listen and get things done. I have spent a career learning that the best decisions come from hearing people who know things you don't. I have a strong record of finding solutions to our most difficult problems. I will continue to do so as our Representative.
The first thing I want to do is keep students at the center of any reforms. The Governor's plan for five mega-districts misses the mark. Our purpose has to be improving educational opportunities for kids, not simply reorganizing the system. That means continued investment in literacy, math instruction, and career and technical education, the things that actually change outcomes for children. We have a window to get the details right on special education funding, on small and sparse school grants, on pre-K financing, on class size minimums. Until my community says we want a comprehensive, regional high school, then I’ll continue to support further sharing of services and maintain as much local input as possible.
Fund infrastructure that makes housing possible. Vergennes voters approved $25.5 million bond to overhaul a sewer system. Support that kind of investment. Continue permitting and zoning reform to get out of the way of projects we’ve already said we want. The 802 Homes catalog of pre-approved designs is great. But the permitting process is too slow, too expensive. Invest in our older housing stock. In a state with old homes (Addison County especially), this means higher maintenance costs and higher energy bills. We need more support for weatherization and efficiency upgrades. Support good plans like the Ferrisburgh-Vergennes Transit Transit-Oriented Development plan - dense, walkable, connected to transit, built where infrastructure exists.