This week’s episode centers on a deep-dive conversation with Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak. We talk about:

1. The intertwined crises of homelessness, mental health, and substance use—and why Burlington’s challenges are really Vermont’s challenges

2. Community safety, media narratives, and what it actually means for Burlington to be ranked among the safest communities in the country

3. Preparing for a potential ICE surge: what the city can do, where its authority stops, and how mutual aid and neighboring towns fit into the response

4. “Modern Gov,” budgets, Dillon’s Rule, and why Vermont’s government structures need an update

5. Gun policy, charter changes, and why Emma chose the Progressive Party

6. The politics of style, taking up space in heels, and (crucially) what the Mayor orders at the creemee stand

We also bring you along for a quick Great Ice Festival dispatch—bonfires, fireworks, and a goat named Lord Voldemort.

Plus, we check in with Elaine Haney about her run for State Senate in Chittenden Central and what it means to challenge incumbents in a crowded primary.

And finally: Vermont Business Magazine has added a Best Vermont Podcast category this year. It’s a write‑in, penultimate‑question situation—so if you’ve got a minute before March 1, we’d be honored to have your vote for There’s No "A" in Creemee.

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