The Fiscal Alliance Foundation today announced its expansion into Vermont, bringing its mission of promoting fiscal responsibility, government transparency, and data-driven public policy to the Green Mountain State.

For over a decade, Fiscal Alliance Foundation has been a trusted, independent source of research and analysis on fiscal and transparency issues in Massachusetts. The Vermont initiative represents the latest expansion of the Fiscal Alliance Foundation's efforts. As Vermont faces growing fiscal and economic challenges affecting families and businesses, the Foundation believes there is an opportunity to broaden public discussion and awareness around policies that strengthen Vermont's long-term future and the interests of the taxpayers.

"Vermont has a proud tradition of civic engagement and independent thinking," said Paul Craney, Executive Director of the Fiscal Alliance Foundation. "Our goal is to contribute credible research, thoughtful analysis, and constructive solutions that help policymakers and citizens evaluate how government decisions affect affordability, opportunity, and economic growth. We hope to provide a voice for the taxpayers of Vermont and educate the public on the interests of the taxpayers."

The Foundation will focus its Vermont efforts on several key policy areas, including government spending, long-term fiscal sustainability, education outcomes, efficient use of taxpayer resources, energy affordability and reliability, tax competitiveness, and private property rights. Consistent with its mission, the Foundation produces research, policy analysis, public polling, provides educational resources, and hosts public forums designed to encourage informed public discussion.

Elizabeth Brown will serve as Vermont State Director, bringing more than twenty-five years of experience in the financial services sector. Having lived in Vermont for 30 years, Brown brings deep local knowledge to the role, along with prior service on the Harwood Unified Union School District school board and experience as a candidate for the Vermont House of Representatives in 2024. Elizabeth is a resident of Waterbury.

The Foundation has also added Rob Roper as a director to the Board. Rob is serving in a leadership role to help the Foundation make an impact in Vermont, with his decades of experience in Vermont public policy and politics. Rob is a resident of Stowe.

“For too long, Vermont has been part of a policy experiment that too often fails to ask a basic question: who pays? Vermont taxpayers have been left footing the bill. Our mission is simple: government should be effective, accountable, and affordable. Public policy should be judged by whether it improves the lives of Vermonters, expands opportunity, and delivers measurable value for taxpayers,” said Elizabeth Brown, Vermont State Director for the Fiscal Alliance Foundation.

The Fiscal Alliance Foundation will work to bring greater transparency to those tradeoffs by publishing independent fiscal analyses, evaluating the cumulative impact of legislation and regulation, measuring whether public programs achieve their stated objectives, and giving Vermonters the information they need to make informed decisions about their state’s future.

“Every public policy has a price. Whether that cost appears as higher taxes, increased utility bills, more expensive housing, higher healthcare premiums, rising insurance costs, compliance burdens for businesses, or fewer economic opportunities, someone pays. Fiscal responsibility begins by asking those questions before, not after, policies are enacted,” said Brown.

The Foundation also intends to collaborate with business leaders, community organizations, local officials, researchers, and citizens from across Vermont who share an interest in building a stronger economy while preserving the qualities that make Vermont unique.