The Burlington Free Press from Burlington, Vermont • 1

III 1 1 PLACES TO EAT BREAKFAST IN 201 1 tzar. xNgJN SAVORVORE, SECTION IJj unmoton JFtee IF Friday, January 7, 2011 BurllngtonFreePress.com 75 cents 1 numiin era oe gms The change we are proposing is transformative and 1. '-T SI -VI BT costs paid from general fund Burlington city councilors are concerned that legal fees and related services are borne by taxpayers By John Briggs Free Press Staff Writer Legal and consultant services for Burlington Telecom from July 1, 2009, through Dec. 21, totaled nearly $380,000, a list prepared by the Clerk-Treasurer's Office shows. Of that, $236,000 was charged to the city's General Fund, despite provisions in Burlington Telecom's state license that prohibit assignment of its costs to taxpayers.

"I still don't understand how this can be a city expense," said Councilor Karen Paul, I-Ward 6, a member of the Board of Finance who has often led the effort by still don't the council to get information understand from the admin- )0W this Can istration of Mayor Bob Kiss be a Cltjf about bt n- expense nances. aKvhv. She said she Karen Paul, has questioned -Ward 6 City Attorney Ken Schatz and BT interim manager Stephen Barraclough about those General Fund allocations but did not receive an explanation. City Council President Bill Keogh, D-Ward 5, said Thursday he, too, is mystified. "It's a legitimate concern," he said, "and I would be interested to know the administration's justification for allocating those funds." He said the Board of Finance will take up the issue.

City Attorney Ken Schatz said the General Fund expenses were for "responsibilities that are directly those of the city of Burlington and are not exclusive to Burlington Telecom." Decisions made on Burlington Telecom spending have been of great concern since it was revealed that the municipally owned provider of Internet, telephone and cable television service improperly used some $16.9 million in taxpayer money between 2007 and 2009 without repaying the funds. This was done in violation of BT's state license, the state has determined. BT also failed last year to make payments on money owed CitiCa-pital in a lease-purchase agreement, leading to the termination of See BT, 5A 'J rr.i!iV L4 Photos by GLENN RUSSELL, free Press Gov. Peter Shumlin gives a thumbs-up at the end of his inaugural address at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Thursday. State's 81st governor inaugurated; Democrat lays out bold agenda WW LU fwiww.

ii i iii.ni.li I i I A f. ijy r-- 7 vy" elected Secretary of State Jim Condos, Treasurer Jeb Spaul-ding, Attorney General Bill Sor-rell and Auditor Tom Salmon. Spaulding will resign to become Shumlin's administration secretary. When the day was done, the newly minted Democratic governor walked with his family to his office on the fifth floor of the Pavilion Building, parts of which he had never seen before, and sat down at his new desk. Shumlin's speech drew at least eight standing ovations from the audience, although not all of them were unanimous.

Supporters in the audience were ecstatic at Shumlin's ascent to state government's highest office. Others on both sides of the political aisle worried about See SHUMLIN, 4A Former state Sen. Phil Scott is sworn in as lieutenant governor Thursday. By Terri Hallenbeck Free Press Staff Writer MONTPELIER A beaming Peter Shumlin took office Thursday as Vermont's 81st governor, acknowledging significant challenges the state faces, promising not to raise taxes but also declaring the state must have universal health coverage and border-to-border high-speed Internet. "Thank you, Vermonters, for giving me this opportunity to serve as governor.

I am both honored and humbled," the former state Senate leader said in a 33-minute inaugural address. Shumlin, 54, of Putney was sworn in Thursday afternoon by Chief Justice Paul Reiber in a House chamber packed with state leaders, family, friends and supporters. Shumlin then administered the oath of office to newly Inauguration online Follow transition week in Montpelier at burlingtonfreepress.com: Video and a photo gallery from Gov. Peter Shumlin's inauguration. Sage advice fnrmor Uormnnt tfnwornnrc IE AT were on hand to offer snumin ad- vice.

Page 4A S. Sudan to vote for unity or split teA ft" write, was an enormous challenge. Only 2 percent of southerners complete primary school. Almost 4 million voters were registered over the last several months, including 116,000 southerners who live in Sudan's north and 60,000 in eight other countries, including the U.S. To be on the safe side, more ballots were printed than the number of registered voters.

More than 7.3 See SUDAN, 5A By Jason Straziuso and Maggie Fick The Associated Press JUBA, Sudan Separation or unity. A solitary hand or two clasped together. That's the choice and the ballot image for close to 4 million registered voters in Southern Sudan beginning Sunday, when a seven-day referendum on separation from Africa's biggest country begins. The vote, which is likely Vermont's 'Lost Boys' to choose independence, IB to lead to the world's newest nation, is the culmination of a 2005 peace deal that ended a north-south civil war that lasted two decades and killed 2 million people. Organizing the vote in the impoverished land, where many are herders and nomadic at least part of the year and where only 15 percent of people can read and EMILYMcMANAMY, Free Press PACKED PATRICK: A full house greets the University of Vermont men's basketball team at Thursday night's America East home opener at Patrick Gym.

The Catamounts ran past Albany, 60-48. Sports, 1C The Associated Press The ballot to be used In Sunday's referendum. Printed in the U.S.A. WEATHER For up-to-the-minute news, INDEX nun vmti? sPorts and entertainment, go to Advice 78 Crossword 5B Movies 5A Business 6B Deaths 4B Opinion 7A Classified 4C Food ID Sports 1 7B Horoscope 7B TV list 5B Hi: 29 Low: 22 I Vol. 184, No.

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