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Sutton Today
By the People, for the People
Vermont House Approves Budget with Disaster Aid for Northeast Kingdom
The $9.3 billion spending plan now heads to the Senate with debate over property tax relief.
Mar. 30, 2026 at 8:56pm
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The rugged landscape of Vermont's Northeast Kingdom faces an uncertain future as communities struggle to recover from devastating floods without federal disaster aid.Sutton TodayThe Vermont House has passed a $9.3 billion state budget bill that includes $1.35 million in disaster relief funding for towns in the Northeast Kingdom region that were impacted by recent floods. The money would help cover half the rebuilding costs in four Caledonia County towns - Sutton, Burke, Sheffield, and Newark - based on previous damage estimates submitted to FEMA. The budget now moves to the Senate for further consideration, with ongoing debate over how much to allocate for property tax relief.
Why it matters
The Northeast Kingdom has faced significant flood damage in recent years, but the Trump administration twice denied Vermont's requests for federal disaster aid. This state-level funding will provide critical support to help these communities rebuild their infrastructure and recover from the impacts of the floods.
The details
The $1.35 million in disaster relief funding would be distributed to the four affected towns based on their previous damage estimates sent to FEMA. Sutton would receive the largest share at $1.1 million, followed by Burke ($104,300), Sheffield ($81,900), and Newark ($53,600). The grants would go directly to the town governments, not to individual residents.
- The Vermont House passed the $9.3 billion budget bill on March 30, 2026.
- The budget now heads to the Vermont Senate for further consideration.
The players
Vermont House
The lower chamber of the Vermont state legislature that passed the $9.3 billion budget bill.
Phil Scott
The Republican governor of Vermont who proposed the disaster relief funding for the Northeast Kingdom as part of his initial budget proposal.
FEMA
The Federal Emergency Management Agency that previously received damage estimates from the affected Vermont towns, but denied the state's requests for federal disaster aid.
What’s next
The Vermont Senate will now consider the budget bill and decide whether to approve the disaster relief funding for the Northeast Kingdom or make any other changes to the spending plan.
The takeaway
This budget bill demonstrates Vermont's commitment to supporting communities impacted by natural disasters, even when federal aid is not forthcoming. The state's investment in rebuilding infrastructure in the Northeast Kingdom will help these towns recover and become more resilient in the face of future extreme weather events.