RUTLAND, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) - This past summer, the Vermont Economic Progress Council, or VEPC, approved the first phase of a plan to transform downtown Rutland, including infrastructure that could eventually go to support a brand-new hotel.

On Tuesday night, residents voted on whether to approve a $3.9 million bond to fund those improvements. The vote passed overwhelmingly with just under 85% in favor out of a total of more than 1,400 votes.

"I couldn’t be more proud of this community and everyone who helped make it happen... this is Rutland's moment - an inflection point and the next phase of our city's renaissance," wrote mayor Mike Doenges on social media. He thanked the city's Board of Aldermen, including Michael Talbott, who helped start the process.

TIF, short for tax increment fi

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