Pittsford’s Alicia Malay is vying to keep her seat representing the Rutland-8 (Pittsford-Proctor) district in the statehouse. Malay, who owns a housecleaning business and is chair of the Pittsford selectboard, says she will draw on lessons learned during her first two years to push for affordability, public safety, and a strong local economy.
“It’s been an absolute honor to serve,” she said. “The first year was kind of overwhelming, but by the second year I really found my footing and I’m loving it, so I know I can get really great things done for our community.”
Malay ran unopposed two years ago and for that reason serves as a Republican/Democrat representative, though she describes herself as a moderate Republican. This time, she is facing Democratic candidate Genevieve Duchesneau at the polls and would likely serve as a Republican if elected.
Malay moved to Vermont from Connecticut in 2001 and settled in Pittsford in 2007, quickly becoming involved in the community. As selectboard chair, member of the library and historical society boards, and mother of three sons who attended local schools (the youngest is now 14), she said hearing from Pittsford constituents comes naturally. Building a connection with Proctor has been a slower process, though she attends some selectboard meetings and events there.
And what have those constituents told her they’re concerned about?
“Taxes,” she said. “Taxes are always number one.”
She noted that the bulk of property taxes go to education, and according to the Department of Taxes, Vermont’s education property taxes have risen by over 40% in the past five years.
“We try to be cognizant that people are really maxed out with just the education piece, [and the selectboard tries] not to add any to that, but it’s starting to have a negative effect,” she said. “Municipalities are struggling because they’re not spending enough in their communities because they’re trying to compensate for how high the education portion of property taxes are.”
She hopes that House Bill 955 (Act 170), the education consolidation bill that passed this spring, will “put the brakes on this constant rise in education taxes.” However, she acknowledged that consolidation could affect local schools.
“If we as a state will be encouraging consolidation, it makes more sense at the high school level than at the pre-K through 6th level,” she wrote in an email. “I feel it is very important that our youngest students are in local schools.”
During her first term, she was on the judicial committee and co-sponsored two successful bills related to law enforcement, a particular interest of hers; she holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Castleton College and was formerly a case manager at Rutland’s now-closed Mandala House for women transitioning out of the prison system.
The first, H. 626 (Act 89), increases penalties for sextortion and extends the timeframe for bringing civil and criminal cases for these crimes. The bill was prompted by a Vermont Public story about a Burlington man who allegedly videotaped two teenage girls undressing and posted the video online, but was never charged because the statute of limitations had expired by the time the victims discovered the images.
“Current law wasn’t really keeping up with the interwebs now where everything is out there forever,” Malay said. “The testimony we got was heartbreaking, the amount of kids that have committed suicide when they find out their stuff gets [posted online].”
She also co-sponsored an amendment to Senate Bill 193 (Act 147), which requires the establishment of a secure “forensic facility” to house and treat individuals who are charged with serious crimes but deemed unfit to stand trial and also don’t qualify for psychiatric hospitalization. It is intended to fill a small but significant gap in the criminal justice system, Malay said.
“[These individuals] would often be home under the guidance of the Department of Mental Health, so you’re putting someone who’s been proven not to be safe back on the street, which is obviously not safe for the community, but they’re also not getting the full treatment they need,” she said.
In addition, Malay sponsored H. 810, a bill to protect Vermont’s covered bridges by increasing penalties for damaging them. Although the provision didn’t make it into the transportation bill this time around, she says she plans to bring it up again if she is reelected.
She also hopes to focus on loosening regulations to make it easier for Vermonters to start businesses.
“It’s sometimes very onerous and expensive to get permits to do all kinds of things. A lot of that stuff really puts a damper on economic development,” she said.
The same problem is holding back housing construction, she said, including rental units for much-needed workers.
“There’s no reason it should be costing $500,000-$600,000 per rental unit,” she said. “If we could find a way to make it so that things are both safe and affordable, that would be fabulous.”
