BTV considers expanding noncitizen rights

Jeetan Khadka grew up in a refugee camp in Nepal where residents were deprived of the right to vote or participate in the governance of the country.

He came to Vermont in 2008 as a teenager and hoped one day to participate fully in the democratic process here.

"I wanted to be a contributing member of this society," said Khadka, now a 24-year-old college student who lives in Burlington.

After a five-year process, Khadka became a U.S. citizen in 2014. Citizenship allows him to vote on election days and serve on the Burlington Parks and Recreation Commission, which like other boards in the city requires appointees to be legal Burlington voters. He's enjoying these rights but thinks other refugees and immigrants should not have to wait for citizenship to partake in democracy.

Khadka is among those supporting two measures on the Burlington ballot for March 3 that would give non-citizens more rights to participate in democracy. One is a proposed city charter change that would allow non-residents to be appointed to serve on city boards and work as city department heads. Elected slots on the City Council and School Board would remain limited to legal Burlington voters, hence U.S. citizens.

The other measure is a resolution calling to change the Vermont Constitution and allow non-citizens the right to vote in Vermont municipal and school elections. Giving non-residents a say in local voting and democracy encourages them to become involved in the civic process as soon as they arrive in the country, and perhaps become more dedicated down the road, Khadka said.

"Allowing residents to be part of local decision-making process is like creating a group of active and engaged citizens," he said.

Not everyone agrees.

Burlington resident Lenore Broughton, a major contributor to conservative political causes, spoke against the proposed charter change at a City Council meeting last month.

"It is a privilege to be an American citizen," she said.

Citizenship is highly sought after, and the rights it confers should not be given away, Broughton said. To allow non-citizens to serve on boards "is to undermine the very meaning of citizenship," she told the council.

The council majority, including President Joan Shannon, supports the charter change and the resolution to change the state Constitution.

Shannon thought Broughton made a good argument, but perhaps an incomplete one.

"She made really good points. ... I wouldn't discredit anything that she said. Citizenship is very important. I think that there's also another side of the coin," said Shannon, a Democrat who represents Ward 5 in the South End.

She continued: "Getting to citizenship is a different process than it was when my grandmother came over from Ireland. People are living in our community for a very, very long time and are participating in every way but don't have the right to vote. They are paying their taxes, their kids are in school, but they don't have the right to vote."

The council debate on the charter change included discussion about whether translators would be required to assist board members who don't speak English. City attorney Eileen Blackwood said in some cases that might be the case, but it's not entirely clear.

Even if the voters say yes on Town Meeting Day, additional steps would be needed to make either proposal reality. City charter changes require approval by the state Legislature. Changing the state Constitution is a multistep, multiyear process.

For people who aren't born into U.S. citizenship, naturalization provides a path. The process requires most applicants to pass an English test and a civics test. Applicants must be of "good moral character," meaning aggravated felony convictions can bar individuals from citizenship.

The fees to apply for citizenship and be fingerprinted come to about $700.

The requirements can be difficult for immigrants and refugees, Khadka said.

"You have to pass the civics test, which a lot of American people might not even pass," he said, "and for people who have language barriers, it's difficult."

The fees also pose a challenge, especially if more than one person in a family is seeking citizenship.

"For people who are making $8, $9 an hour and feeding five kids and paying the rent, for them it's really difficult," Khadka said. "It adds up."

He initially was going to be appointed to the Parks and Recreation Commission shortly before he had completed the citizenship process. The appointment had to wait until afterward, and though he is grateful for the opportunity to serve, Khadka said he thinks completing the oath of citizenship should not be the deciding factor in appointments.

He started attending parks meetings partly to advocate for improvements to soccer fields at city parks. The game is especially popular among immigrants and refugee groups in the city.

"The reason that I really wanted to be part of the Parks Commission was access, access to resources for communities of all backgrounds and religions and stuff, because a lot of times we do have great parks in our city, we have nice soccer fields ... but when it comes to integrating the newly arrived communities into the programs that we have, I think we're really far behind," Khadka said.

Boards on which noncitizens could serve would include the Police Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Cemetery Commission, Airport Commission, Church Street Marketplace Commission and Public Works Commission. Jobs noncitizens could hold would include city assessor, city attorney, chief administrative officer, director of the Community and Economic Development Office and harbormaster.

Contact Molly Walsh at 660-1874 or mwalsh@burlingtonfreepress.com. Follow Molly on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mokawa

Here's a look at the proposed charter changes on the Burlington ballot for the March 3 elections.

•Charter change to allow non-citizens to serve on city boards and as city department heads.

•Charter change to make board terms three years. Currently terms range from two years to five years, depending on the board or commission.

•Charter change to eliminate requirement relating to political affiliation for certain boards.

•Charter change concerning reserve funds.

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Contact Molly Walsh at 660-1874 or mwalsh@burlingtonfreepress.com. Follow Molly on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mokawa

