The appointment of Taylor Collins as the new Executive Director of Economic Development of the Greater Burlington Partnership is of personal concern to us. His record displays an active engagement in legislative practices that go against our community's values and sense of public welfare.

Specifically, Collins has worked to decrease funding for public education - a cornerstone of our society that nurtures the leaders of tomorrow. He has also been hostile to the LGBTQ+ community and has initiated laws and policies that harm their rights, most recently supporting the removal of gender identity from the Iowa Civil Rights Act.

• He voted in favor of HF718, which capped tax levies — even those previously approved by voters — slashing funding for critical public amenities like the library, Memorial Auditorium, community pool, and the municipal band.
• He supported efforts to strip diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across Iowa, and backed measures that restrict academic freedom at state universities.
• He voted to remove transgender rights from the Iowa Civil Rights Act, undoing protections that had been in place since 2007.
• He worked for a candidate who gutted Area Education Agencies and pushed for school voucher programs, leaving public schools across the state — including here — critically underfunded. The result? A proposed $3.50 per $1,000 increase in local real estate taxes just to fill the gap.

These are not just “political issues.” These are policy decisions with direct impacts on whether families and businesses choose to call Burlington home.

These actions work against ensuring all members of our society feel safe, valued, and protected. Further, his efforts to restrict the resources needed by non-profits like our local libraries impact our public spaces severely and limit access to shared knowledge and resources for all.

Therefore, we believe that Collins's presence at the forefront of economic development could potentially harm Burlington's ethos of inclusivity, progressiveness, and community spirit.

We petition the Greater Burlington Partnership for the immediate removal of Iowa State Representative Taylor Collins and choose for the role a person who upholds the community's values and respects all its inhabitants' rights and dignity. Please unite with us in protecting our dear community's spirit, and sign this petition.