Burlington airport, electric department propose 2025 budgets - here's what they presented

Sydney P. Hakes, Burlington Free Press
Updated ·3 min read

Back-to-back budget presentations from two of Burlington's biggest departments revealed requests for more support, including for projects and staffing.

Staff from the Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport and Burlington Electric Department (BED) met with the City Council Monday, May 13, to give their Fiscal Year 2025 budget proposals and answer questions about it.

The effort to close the $13 million budget deficit has left little wiggle room for expenditures across all city offices, forcing departments to reevaluate their budgets and present their needs to the City Council and Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak in the coming weeks. The airport and BED - both of which don't receive money from the city's general fund - kicked off those presentations with in-depth analysis of their past, present and future needs.

Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak sits between Chief Administrative Officer Katherine Schad and councilors Carter Neubieser and Gene Bergman at the city council meeting April 1, 2024.
Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak sits between Chief Administrative Officer Katherine Schad and councilors Carter Neubieser and Gene Bergman at the city council meeting April 1, 2024.

Burlington Electric Department budget proposal

The presentation by BED revealed a struggle with sales, which have been "flat to declining" in the past few years, according to Chief Financial Officer & Manager of Strategy and Innovation Emily Stebbins-Wheelock.

BED customers would see a 5.5% rate increase due to multiple contributing factors besides just the flat sales. Those include increased transmission costs, continued inflationary measures and rate increases. United States electricity prices have been rising faster than inflation according to BED, with an average of 7.7% increase since 2021.

BED provided statistics from the Federal Reserve of Economic Data and BED sales showing that Burlington stays well below the average in price. Less is spent on electricity than housing, medical expenses and education, and Burlington stays below the average compared to New England as a whole and the rest of Vermont.

BED said the rate increase would raise the monthly bill for a midsized household using 410kWh to $86.56 from the current $82.05. The effect would be slightly less for customers on Energy Assistance Programs.

Leahy Airport budget proposal

Chief Financial Officer Marie Friedman spoke on the proposed budget and expenses. She said that salary and benefits for employees continue to be the largest increase in the overall expense budget. The other area of increase will be professional and consultant hires. Repairs and maintenance will stay below the 2024 budget, along with maintenance and janitorial contracts.

Director of Aviation Nic Longo said that there is a "positive industry outlook" surrounding many facets of the airport. Passenger growth is higher than it was in 2019, and operations − landings and takeoffs − have hit a regional record. Burlington has been recorded as the second busiest commercial service airport in New England following Boston Logan International Airport.

The success of the airport has been acknowledged by the Federal Aviation Administration which has funded a "significant number of capital projects" and continues to award Leahy Airport with improvement grants.

More: Work to begin this summer on new terminal at Burlington airport to accommodate bigger jets

They highlighted two of those projects that will begin during FY25, and likely bleeding over into the following year. The Runway 15-33 Rehabilitation Project will "improve the conditions of the main runway" and cost $15 million. The plans are complete, and a grant application has been submitted. Project NexT is a 25,000-square-foot concourse replacement project that will have new gates, new passenger board bridge and new hold room space.

Leahy Airport is also planning to focus on their Sustainability Managment Plan during the 2025 fiscal year by referring to a report that looked at their carbon footprint and reducing emissions accordingly. Their electric vehicle fleet has also been growing.

An artist's rendering of the planned new north terminal at Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport, as seen on March 20, 2024 on display at a press conference.
An artist's rendering of the planned new north terminal at Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport, as seen on March 20, 2024 on display at a press conference.

The proposed budgets will be contemplated and potentially reworked by the departments and city officials. Mulvaney-Stanak has no later than June 15 to submit a detailed version of the final budget, and the City Council must approve the budget by June 30.

Sydney P. Hakes is the Burlington city reporter. Contact her at SHakes@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Burlington airport and Burlington Electric Department propose budgets