Our Business Advocacy & Government Relations Committee is taking a close look at the Burlington WA 2027 budget and potential new taxes and increases that could impact local businesses and residents.
Before the Chamber takes any position, we believe the most important thing we can do is ask questions, gather accurate information, and hear directly from the people who could be affected.
Why We’re Asking for Your Voice
One of the most important roles of our Chamber is making sure Burlington’s business community has a voice in conversations that affect the ability to operate, grow, invest, and do business here.
Right now, our Business Advocacy & Government Relations Committee believes the City of Burlington’s proposed 2027 budget deserves a closer look and an important part of that work is hearing from you.
Information presented during the City’s budget process includes discussion of:
- A potential new utility tax on water, sewer/wastewater, stormwater, and solid waste.
- A potential 1% increase in the City’s property-tax levy.
- Additional City staffing and investments in public safety, infrastructure, facilities, technology, parks, and other services.
I want to be very clear: the committee has not taken a position on these proposals.
Before we determine whether a recommendation to the Burlington Chamber Board is appropriate, we want to better understand the financial need, what the actual impact could look like for Burlington businesses, what additional services or improvements these investments would provide, and what alternatives have been considered.
We Have Questions
Our committee is working to gather additional information from the City, including answers to questions such as:
- How much revenue would the proposed taxes generate?
- What specifically would the additional revenue fund?
- What would the actual monthly impact be for different types of Burlington businesses?
- Are additional utility-rate increases also anticipated?
- What measurable service improvements would businesses and residents receive from the additional investment?
- What alternatives to new or increased taxes have been evaluated?
But information from the City is only one piece of this conversation.
We Need to Hear From Burlington Businesses
We also need to understand what these potential changes could mean for the businesses that operate here every day.
Would an increase have a meaningful impact on your business?
Are there questions or concerns you want us to bring forward?
Are there City services where additional investment would meaningfully improve your ability to operate, expand, or do business in Burlington?
Our committee has created a short feedback form specifically for business owners so we can begin collecting those answers.
COMPLETE THE BUSINESS FEEDBACK FORM
Please take a few minutes to share your perspective. The more information we receive from our business community, the better equipped our committee will be to understand the potential impact and advocate thoughtfully on your behalf.
And Yes, We Want to Hear From Homeowners Too
While our formal survey is designed specifically for business owners, we recognize that the proposals being discussed could affect more than businesses.
If you are a Burlington homeowner or resident and have questions, concerns, or feedback you believe our committee should hear, we want to hear from you too.
Please email me directly at steph@burlington-chamber.com.
Whether you own a business, own a home, or simply care about the future of Burlington, thoughtful feedback helps us understand the bigger picture.
Our goal throughout this process is simple: to make sure our community has accurate information, an opportunity to be heard, and a voice in decisions that affect doing business and living in Burlington.
Thank you for being part of the conversation.
Stephanie Rees
President & CEO
Burlington Chamber of Commerce