Burlington, Graham welcome new mayors, marking shift in local leadership

Beth Kennett and Chelsea Dickey took over as mayors in Burlington and Graham, shifting leadership at two of Alamance County’s most watched city halls just as development, spending and downtown investment remain live issues. The changes matter less as ceremony than as a reset in how both cities will handle the next round of council decisions.

Kennett’s election gave Burlington a milestone it had never had before, a first woman mayor at a time when the city is still balancing growth pressure with neighborhood concerns and infrastructure needs. In a city where the mayor’s tone can influence how staff and council move on roads, utilities and business development, that kind of change can shape the pace of the next six to 12 months even before any major policy vote reaches the agenda.

Graham’s transition carried a different feel. Chelsea Dickey won the mayor’s race with more than 56% of the vote and then drew a standing-room-only crowd for her swearing-in, a sign that the city’s leadership change landed in a more heated atmosphere. Bobby Chin and Jim Young also won seats on the Graham City Council, adding another layer of turnover to a board that will now work with a new presiding officer.

The contrast between the two cities is sharp. Burlington’s change reads as historic and symbolic, while Graham’s looks more immediate and operational. Graham’s mayor serves a two-year term and presides over City Council meetings, but the city runs under a council-manager form of government, so the city manager handles daily operations. That leaves Dickey with real influence over meeting rhythm, policy priorities and how quickly disputes surface, even without direct control of the bureaucracy.

That distinction already matters in Graham, where city records from 2024 included a $897,066.75 budget project ordinance for Banks and McBride water and sewer improvements. A July 2025 council agenda also listed a $31,270 audit contract for the fiscal year ending June 20, 2025, reminders that the new mayor has inherited a full slate of financial and infrastructure decisions, not just a ceremonial office.

The political backdrop was broader than either city. Alamance County’s 2025 municipal election cycle also included Elon, Gibsonville and the Village of Alamance, underscoring how much local government changed at once across the county. In Burlington and Graham, the new mayors now face the same practical test: whether fresh leadership brings a different pace, a different public style, and a different answer to the county’s steady pressure for growth management.