Burlington Businesses Asked What the Next Mayor Should Fix

Burlington elects a new mayor this year, and the Chamber of Commerce is gathering what local businesses want asked before the campaign gets loud. Its Burlington Business Votes 2026 initiative is taking submissions now, and this is the last call for them.

The idea is straightforward. Members fill in a short form naming the biggest challenges facing their business, the issues they want the next mayor to take on, and the questions every candidate should be ready to answer. Those submissions become the questions the Chamber puts to candidates at its election events.

Small operators tend to get spoken for during municipal campaigns rather than asked, so a form that feeds directly into the candidate questions is a rare shortcut. Parking, development charges, permitting timelines and downtown foot traffic all sit with the city, which means a mayor can actually move them.

The submission form is linked from the Chamber's Burlington Business Votes 2026 page, and members are encouraged to send their input while it is still open.