Community members assembled at a rally in support of a bill that would prevent the implementation of a property tax on Greek homes.

Students, alumni and legislators gathered in the Grand Maple Ballroom of the Davis Center March 3 to discuss the a bill, that would keep Vermont Greek houses tax exempt.

The ballroom was filled with students from Greek life as speakers took the stage pre- senting the consequences of taxing Greek houses.

The rally was attended by nearly 100 students.

Rep. Barbara Rachelson, who introduced the bill, spoke at the event.

“Right now, college students have so much cost and most of them debt, that the thought of this group having to pay more didn’t seem right to me,” she said.

If the Greek students cannot afford the tax, there would be stress placed on the housing market in Burlington, Rachel- son said.

SGA President Jason Maulucci and Vice President Tyler Davis also attended the rally.

Maulucci went to Montpelier with members of the Greek community at UVM Feb. 24 in an effort to build legislative support for the bill in the Ver mont House and the Senate, he said.

The bill would repeal an act introduced by the Senate Fi nance Committee that would create the tax to increase state revenue, according to the website.

The votes for the act in the Senate on the bill were “large and bipartisan,” Burlington Sen. Tim Ashe said.

The benefits of Greek life are more than the government can ever make on the homes, Maulucci said.

“I hope that students and Vermonters alike will support us in our efforts,” said August Siebs, president of the UVM in- terfraternity council.

Greek life was underestimated when the bill to tax was put in place, said Rachel Hurwitz, president of the Phi Beta Phi sorority.