BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Graffiti continues to be a mess in Burlington, despite efforts to clean it up. Now, the City Council is considering an ordinance that could step up enforcement and address vandalism involving hate speech.

“It’s a strategy and a tool that our city attorney’s office has researched and put forth to help respond to chronic transphobic statements that they’ve put in public spaces, on signs or otherwise, to really intimidate people,” he said. said Burlington Mayor Emma. Mulvaney-Stanak.

An ordinance before the council on Tuesday would allow people who feel there is public hate speech against them to sue the person responsible. City Council President Ben Traverse, D-Ward 5, says that while he denounces hate speech, he has First Amendment concerns about how the current proposal is written. “I will support a version of this ordinance that increases our enforcement efforts in general, but I cannot support something that will cause a bunch of lawsuits for the city around these types of First Amendment questions,” he said. .

The ordinance would also implement a more thorough public graffiti reporting system. Traverse also hopes to learn what efforts the mayor’s team has made to address graffiti in the city.

On Tuesday, councilors will also get their first glimpse of what a massive water infrastructure bond would look like.

Councilors will also discuss possible bylaw changes on Town Meeting Day to address redistricting, bond votes requiring voter approval and the lease termination timeline for landlords and tenants.

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