I feel that is important that we look back every now and again as this helps us gain an insight as to where we are now and where we came from. It lets us see what was and compare that to what is.

10 years ago our river front was home to Hi-Liter Graphics and several empty buildings that were falling into disrepair. The Wisconsin Central Railroad main line was running 15 trains a day through the city. If you were on the wrong side of the tracks, you had no choice but to wait for the train to clear. The Mills building was still standing. Our Fire Department and Building Inspector had declared the building a hazard. Our Industrial Park was filling up and we did not have any where for any new companies to locate to.

We had one-way streets through our downtown. If you were entering Burlington from the south on STH 83 and wished to go downtown, you were stopped by a large sign that said "Do Not Enter, one-way traffic". Our downtown, once a thriving commercial hub was showing its age. Several local stores closed and the store fronts stood empty. Our downtown was the economic hub for Western Racine and Kenosha counties as well as eastern Walworth County. Over the years we went from being the hub to people having to leave town to shop because stores had closed. In short Burlington was starting to decay from the inside out.

We opened the Burlington Manufacturing and Office Park (BMOP), relocated Hi-Liter Graphics there enticed Bassett Wheel and Veterans Trucking to relocated to Burlington. Circle Inc. also moved into the BMOP. There are now four lots left in this park and three of those are currently being looked at by outside companies that are thinking about relocating to Burlington.

The old and run down buildings that lined our river have been replaced by the Riverwalk. The Department of Commerce has made Burlington its poster child for redevelopment, citing the work that was done to and along the river here in the city. Bridge Street was put in which includes an overpass to allow traffic to flow even when one of the more that 30 trains a day roll through the city.

Commerce Street was rebuilt, the 100 year old water and sewer lines were replaced, and the street was resurfaced. The name was changed to Pine Street and then it was connected into West Chestnut St. This allowed the one-way streets to become two-way once again.

The Mills building was acquired and torn down, removing another hazard and eyesore.

Downtown as been declared a Historic District and the City has pumped over $150,000 into matching grants to restore the store fronts. We have new business that have opened downtown and there are several unique shops now located there.

A land use plan was put together for the STH 83/36 corridor and implemented. Several new companies have opened here, Wal-Mart, Menard’s, Aldi’s, Taco Bell, just to name a few. These companies chose to locate here only after doing their research on the city. They saw how the city turned itself around and is moving in the right direction to once again become the hub we once were.

These changes did not just happen, they were made by the people of Burlington. People who care deeply about this city and people who watched this city fall into decay. People that had had enough of the decay, stepped forward, reached deep inside themselves, and made the changes they we take for granted today, happen.

Burlington, what a great city. We have so much happening and we have a great future ahead of us. Look at what is occurring now, the Mills site is now under consideration for development by and out of town developer. Kohl’s is opening here, RexCon will be starting construction soon, the east By-Pass will open this fall, construction on the new Veterans Building will begin soon, and what an addition it will be for the City. I do not think a better location could have been found for this new Veteran’s center. The Schaefer property will be on line next year, and they will be working with the High School students to reestablish the wet lands and walking trails on the property. What a great learning and hands on opportunity for our students.

What makes this city great? It is you, the people that live here. You’re willingness to give back to this city, your time and when needed your money, to help when called upon. When the tornados swept through just south of us, we went and stood outside a store here in town asking people to buy needed items for the victims. As the customers left the store they were filling shopping carts with the requested items. There was one lady who, besides giving several cases of water, also handed me a cup of hot chocolate and a cookie, saying "Thank-you for standing out here in the cold and collecting these items." It is this type of caring about each other that makes this a great place to live.

Our Service Clubs and the volunteers that give so freely of their time to help those in need, and to keep this city safe, they are what makes this city great. I have always been humbled when I look at the number of clubs and volunteers, the hours that they give all without complaint or looking for anything in return. The look on their faces when they finish a project just makes my heart swell with pride, and it is that display of caring and dedication that makes me proud to say I am from Burlington.

Burlington is not without problems. We have many that will need to be addressed over the next couple of years. I have called for a budget planning session to occur this year, in order to go over the budget and attempt to make cuts, and then carry these cuts over into 2009. The State has already informed us that the most the tax levy can increase in 2009 is 2%. If City’s costs increase next year by more than 2%, we will be into a larger deficit spending situation. The State is also claiming a deficit in the budget and if they turn to Shared Revenue to make it up it will also impact the City’s budget.

One of first things seen by visitors that come to Burlington is the streets. We have in place a street repair/replacement program, where every street has been ranked as to its condition and the estimated year in which it will need to be replaced. I believe in this program and feel that we need to do everything we can to keep to this repair and replacement schedule. This has been a terrible year for pot holes. We will need to find the funds to tackle the pot holes, but I am confidant that we will be able to address both the Street program and the pot holes with in the confines of the budget.

Furthermore, I have asked the City Attorney to draft an ordinance that will allow the Council to appoint High School students to the City Council and the committees. We should be reaching out and involving our younger citizens giving them the opportunity to become involved in the City Government. We will also be looking into ways to set up email notification of City Council agendas. In addition to establishing regular office hours, I will also be establishing open office hours the first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. effective May 3, 2009. Anyone is welcome to stop in and talk.

Downtown is a vital part of Burlington and I am committed to doing whatever we can to insure that it remains an important part of this city. We will be holding a planning session this year, involving the merchants from downtown the Chamber, the Banks and the City. The goal of the session will be to find ways of keeping downtown viable. Burlington is changing and growing. I understand that not everyone likes change, and we tend to stay with what we know and what is comfortable, however, we can and should be looking to the future. Controlling and managing the change can keep Burlington the great place to live, work and play.

We must and will become more responsive to the needs of our customers and employers, who are you the citizens of Burlington. I challenge every City employee to seek out and find ways that we can save tax dollars. If there is a better way of doing something then bring that idea forward, let’s explore and search out the better ways.

In closing, I feel proud and honored. Proud that you have elected me to lead our city into the future and honored to know that I represent some of the greatest citizens that any city has ever had. Let us move towards a Proud New Burlington together.

Thank you,

Robert Miller
Mayor