Burlington councilor spotlit
Burlington City Councilor Ali Dieng — born in Mauritania and Senegal — is being profiled for his push on racial equity and sister‑city ties with Senegal, illustrating an immigrant‑led approach to local policymaking. The profile frames Dieng as a connector between international communities and municipal governance. (x.com)
Burlington voters approved a City Charter amendment on March 3, 2026 formalizing the Office of Racial Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (REIB), with Article 3 passing 4,959 to 3,729 (57.0%–42.9%). (results.townmeeting.tv) The City’s Racial Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Council Committee is listed as meeting monthly and is chaired by Councilor Ali Dieng on the city website. (burlingtonvt.gov) Dieng’s campaign materials and city biographies credit him with sponsoring the earlier legislation that created the REIB office and with leading the Council-level committee work on a strategic racial-equity roadmap. ( ) The City Council unanimously approved placing a charter change on the ballot in November 2025 that would make REIB a permanent, director-level office reporting to the mayor; that council vote took place on November 17, 2025. (vermontbiz.com) Dieng co-founded Burlington’s Burlington–Thiès‑Est sister‑city program, and the City Council voted unanimously to establish the formal relationship with Thiès‑Est, Senegal on March 25, 2024. ( ) The sister‑city initiative explicitly builds on the Vermont National Guard’s State Partnership Program with Senegal (in place since 2008), and a Burlington delegation traveled to Thiès‑Est in August 2025 to deepen cultural, educational and medical-exchange ties. ( ) Dieng founded the Burlington School District’s Parent University in 2015, co‑founded the Vermont New American Advisory Council (VNAAC), and in 2025 took a regional manager role with Building Bright Futures covering Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle. ( ) In a separate political move, Dieng mounted a last‑minute write‑in challenge against incumbent Mark Barlow during the 2025 municipal cycle; Barlow ultimately retained his seat in that election. ( )
