Pros
The best reason to work here is that you are already in Vermont and you want to work in the field of public health. Although the current administration (governor) is a sad operation, there is still a very competent cadre of public health professionals. Overall, it's probably no worse than some other state health departments, especially since there's not much of the social conservative influence. But management wise, at the agency and gov's level - don't expect much and you won't be disappointed.
Cons
The biggest downside is that the executive leadership at the agency level (AHS) and the governor's level is mostly a bunch of yes-men and women. There is no executive vision, and an absolute preoccupation with the next election. This makes it just about impossible for the department level leadership to accomplish anything of significance.