Peter Anthony and Gordon George lived for years on opposite banks of the flood-prone Stevens Branch of the Winooski River in Barre. Anthony, 80, is a retired economics professor who now serves as a state representative. He raised his family in a modest two-story home just feet from where granite-lined banks have for more than a century contained the river in a man-made channel. George, a 74-year-old retired semiconductor tool operator, moved into a house across the river in 2009. He planned to fix it up for his son and daughter-in-law but ended up living there himself. Both men grew accustomed to the occasional flooding of their old homes and the recovery ritual of mucking out silt-filled basements and helping neighbors do the same. But neither was prepared for the July 2023 flood that not only surged into their basements but also filled their first floors with several feet of water, rendering both homes uninhabitable. All too aware of the risk of future floods, George and Anthony decided not to rebuild. Both were hoping for a lifeline from a federal program that would pay them a fair price for their homes and let them move on with their lives. Only one of them has any hope that will happen. Anthony's application was approved by Barre officials earlier this year, giving him a shot at some of the millions that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has made available for Vermont. George's request was denied — not by faceless federal bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., but by officials in his own city. "It's not gonna happen," Mayor Thom Lauzon told George as he pleaded for the Barre City Council's help last month. FEMA's buyouts come with a caveat: The home and other structures must be removed and the property permanently set aside as green space. Lauzon said the city needs to be "judicious" in supporting buyouts because demolishing too many homes could erode the city's tax base and exacerbate Vermont's housing crisis. So, Barre officials have established criteria for deciding which buyouts are justified. George's home was one of dozens that didn't make the cut. Local leaders across Vermont are being forced to make difficult decisions in the wake of three major floods in 12 months. They must choose which of their flooded-out neighbors will be allowed to seek federal buyouts and who will not be given that chance…