Local business owner launches city council bid

I’m Tyler Barnes and I’m proud to be a South Burlington resident. I grew up here, went through its schools, and after college, returned home with my spouse to start a family, raise children, and realize a dream of starting a family business.

I’m proud to call South Burlington my home, and hope that future generations will have the same opportunity to belong to the community we all cherish.

That’s why I’m running for city council.

I have lived in South Burlington for 29 of my 44 years. I’m running because I want to help ensure that the city will provide our children with the same opportunities it did when I was a child and an aspiring entrepreneur with a young family. While we’ve made great strides toward such aims, there’s still lot of exciting work to be done.

We need to be accessible and inclusive to families across the socio-economic spectrum. Tax burdens are increasing, and housing is becoming scarce, making it difficult for current employers to attract prospective employees, and for prospective employers to commit to South Burlington. Unchecked, our diverse, inclusive and accessible community of young families and aspiring professionals could lose the diverse character that we all know and love, and that’s an integral part of the South Burlington experience.

I’m excited to address these opportunities. I bring the perspective of a resident and South Burlington business owner to this campaign and council seat, a perspective that affords tremendous insights into people’s wants and needs for the city.

I bring the perspective of a parent with kids in the schools. I bring the perspective of a passionate outdoor enthusiast who relentlessly enjoys the community’s rich recreational opportunities. And I bring the perspective of relatable empathy to the large tax burden in South Burlington.

If I’ve learned anything over the course of my career, it’s that life isn’t a zero-sum game. Seemingly divergent ideas like economic growth and environmental conservation aren’t mutually exclusive aims. To quote another city councilor I admire, I believe “we make better decisions when we have competing ideas at the table.”

If elected, I would collaborate with my peers to:

• Preserve the things we love about the community — its natural resources, open spaces, exceptional schools and warm, welcoming people — while ensuring that everyone can share in such offerings rather than a privileged few.

• Attract growing businesses capable of offering sustainable, long-term career opportunities.

• Actively promote the development of quality, affordable homes that will both ease the tax burden on existing residents and increase accessibility for those interested in moving here.

• Continue to provide exceptional educational and recreational experiences for all South Burlington children.

• Further encourage economic and cultural diversity among the city’s constituents.

This isn’t easy work. To realize such ambitions will be, to quote my wife, a heavy lift. It will require coordinating efforts with regional planners and neighboring cities to ensure that we’re considering the implications of policies on not only South Burlington, but also those neighboring us. It will require greater civic engagement.

It will require an open mind, an open ear, patience, grace and a willingness to listen to those with different ideas, to respect different perspectives and embrace different points of view. But it can be done. If elected to the council, I will endeavor to do exactly that.

I believe in South Burlington. I believe in what we can accomplish together. I am excited to rise to these challenges as a candidate for South Burlington City Council.