07/23/2026
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A Letter to Our Community: Our Downtown Needs Us!
From the Monticello-Jefferson Chamber of Commerce
Dear Friends, Neighbors, Business Owners, and Property Owners,
Our downtown is more than a collection of buildings. It is the heart of our community. It is where we gather, celebrate, shop, eat, welcome visitors, and share the small-town way of life that makes Monticello special.
But right now, our local businesses need us.
Across the country, small businesses are facing a difficult economy. Rising costs, changing shopping habits, higher operating expenses, and tighter household budgets are taking a toll. Here at home, we are seeing businesses struggle and, sadly, some close their doors.
We cannot afford to simply watch it happen.
Every time we choose to shop locally, eat at a local restaurant, hire a local service provider, or purchase a gift from a hometown store, we are casting a vote for the kind of community we want Monticello to be.
Before clicking “add to cart,” take a moment to ask: Can I buy this locally?
Before driving out of town for dinner or shopping, consider what might be available right here at home.
A thriving downtown requires customers—but it also requires opportunity.
To our downtown property owners and landlords, we ask you to be part of the solution. When storefronts become vacant, please actively seek businesses that give people a reason to come downtown: retail shops, restaurants, cafés, bakeries, specialty stores, and other businesses that create activity and foot traffic.
An occupied storefront benefits far more than one property owner. It helps the business next door. It brings customers to the restaurant across the street. It gives visitors another reason to stay longer. It makes our downtown feel alive.
We also encourage property owners to consider reasonable and sustainable rental rates that give small businesses a genuine opportunity to succeed. Monticello is a small community, and our rents must reflect the realities of our local market. A thriving business paying a sustainable rent for years can be far more valuable to our community than an empty storefront waiting for a higher rate.
We all have a role to play.
Residents: Shop local and dine local.
Businesses: Support one another and promote one another.
Property owners: Fill our storefronts with businesses that create activity and keep rents within reach of local entrepreneurs.
Community leaders: Continue working to create an environment where small businesses can open, grow, and succeed.
And all of us can become ambassadors for Monticello.
Tell your friends about your favorite local store. Share a local restaurant’s social media post. Bring your family downtown for lunch. Buy the birthday gift here. Invite visitors to spend an afternoon shopping and exploring. When a new business opens, walk through its doors and welcome them.
Small businesses cannot survive on special events and festival weekends alone. They need us on ordinary Tuesdays, quiet Thursday afternoons, and Saturday mornings all year long.
The Chamber believes deeply in the future of Monticello and Jefferson County. We believe our historic downtown can continue to be a destination where people want to shop, dine, stroll, gather, and build memories.
But beautiful buildings alone do not make a thriving downtown.
People do. Businesses do. Community does.
If we want local businesses tomorrow, we must support them today.
If we want full storefronts, we must create an environment where entrepreneurs can afford to open their doors.
And if we want a vibrant downtown for the next generation, it will take all of us working together.
Shop local. Dine local. Support local. Invest local.
Because when our small businesses succeed, our entire community succeeds.
With appreciation and hope for our community,
Monticello-Jefferson Chamber of Commerce
Supporting Business. Strengthening Community.
