BATTLE CREEK AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Legislative Priorities 2010
Approved by the Board of Directors
March 2010

The Battle Creek Area Chamber of Commerce provides member services, business representation and advocacy to produce a positive economic environment.  The organization is focused on four key areas for 2010 which are (1) membership, (2) advocacy, (3) workforce development/quality of life and (4) networking. 

In the area of advocacy, the Battle Creek Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors supports the following Legislative Priorities for 2010:

Economic Development

Michigan Economic Development Corporation Budget Support – In a time of serious economic challenges and increased unemployment in Michigan, every effort to attract and retain manufacturing, service and high-tech businesses to our state must be undertaken.  Efforts to reduce the resources available to the state’s leading economic development agency work counter to this need.  As such, the Chamber encourages legislators to find ways to increase funding support for the MEDC, and opposes any effort to reduce budgets for the MEDC or to reduce its ability to act aggressively to build Michigan’s economy.

Business Development Tax Incentives – Supporting the growth and expansion of our local economy and job base is a major element of maintaining the local quality of life in Battle Creek.  The Chamber is supportive of tax incentive packages, job training grants and environmental programs that provide economic benefit to the community and provide new jobs for our citizens.

Small Business Development – The key to growing a healthy business sector is support for small business and entrepreneurial activities.  The Chamber strongly supports such initiatives.

Downtown Development – A healthy downtown district is essential to maintaining a healthy urban center such as Battle Creek.  The Chamber supports initiatives aimed at building upon the downtown business district and promoting business attraction activities for this sector.  Specifically, the Chamber supports the Downtown Transformation Plan and the goals of Battle Creek Unlimited and the City of Battle Creek to make downtown Battle Creek a destination location attractive to new business  and residential development, expand cultural and entertainment activities and address high commercial vacancy rates in this area.

Workforce Development – Successful economic development activities are dependent upon available skilled labor.  The ability of the Battle Creek community to have a ready pool of labor available for new business expansion and location is important to our community’s overall economic health.  The Chamber is aggressively pursuing workforce development initiatives in an effort to assist our economic development partners such as Battle Creek Unlimited and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

Roadway Improvement/Infrastructure Investment – The key to maintaining quality transportation infrastructure (important to a majority of business operations) is proper planning and consistent investment over time.  The Chamber is supportive of establishing and following a long-term capital plan that would schedule infrastructure improvements on a long-term basis and guarantee the health of our transportation infrastructure.

Availability of Affordable Utility Services – Many business operations, especially those engaged in manufacturing activities, are dependent upon utility services such as electricity, water and wastewater and high-speed data services.  Residents, too, are impacted financially by the cost and availability of such services.  The Chamber supports efforts to make these quality services readily available for business and residents’ use at affordable cost.
Urban reinvestment – Supports the Michigan Land Bank Redevelopment Fast Track Authority as a tool to put tax-reverted properties back into private ownership. Reuse of existing public and private infrastructure in our cities should be encouraged through market driven incentives.  Administrative and regulatory impediments to urban reinvestment should be removed or reduced to the minimum required to protect the public and nearby private owners.

Quality of Life

Local Preference Purchasing Policies – While efforts to promote the “buy local” practice relative to government contracts may help support local businesses in the short-term, such a practice is flawed in that it forces other communities to adopt similar local-preference regulations thereby closing markets to Battle Creek businesses.  Fundamentally, such legislation is contrary to the free-market principles valued by our capitalist system and the global economy.  The Chamber opposes such local preference regulation unless all other bidding considerations are equal, at which time the local vendor should receive a preference.

Public Safety – A safe community is important to ensure the quality of life for business owners and their employees.  The Chamber considers police and fire resources the highest priorities of local government service delivery and supports efforts to deliver these important services more effectively through mutual aid agreements, consolidations and/or the creation of special service districts/authorities.

Park & Recreation Opportunities – A balanced approach to maintaining a safe community also includes the availability of recreation opportunities for youth and families.  Such opportunities are enhanced through quality open space and park facilities.  The Chamber is supportive of community action to develop and maintain such facilities and programs dependent upon funding availability.

Poverty Reduction – The economic success of a community is severely eroded when poverty is allowed to exist.  Efforts should be taken to offer job training, financial planning services and low-income business development loan opportunities to encourage life improvement and reduction in local unemployment.

Residential Development – Maintaining a high quality of life in the Battle Creek region is dependent partly upon the continued availability of affordable homes.  The Chamber supports legislative activity that encourages new affordable housing opportunities, contributes to long-life neighborhoods and promotes home-buying locally.

Education

 

Quality Education – High quality education for youth and adults at all levels is important to the ability of the business sector to thrive and grow.  Programs, facilities and learning technologies aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship, the advantages of the free-enterprise system, strengthening science and math-based curricula, learning high-tech trades and continuing education are important components in a comprehensive community education strategy.

Cost Control – Controlling and possibly reducing the cost of education.

Taxes

Michigan Business Tax – Creation of the new Michigan Business Tax (MBT), while necessary, has created additional concerns as to the impact on small business and addition of ancillary “fees” to assist in balancing the budget.  The Chamber supports pursuing modification of the existing MBT to minimize these concerns while establishing a simple and pro-business tax structure to be applied fairly to all Michigan businesses.

Personal Property Tax – Efforts to eliminate or reduce the personal property tax in Michigan should be made to improve the State’s ability to attract new business and encourage job creation provided an alternative source of revenue is identified.

Sales, Use and Excise Taxes – No further increases to sales, use or excise taxes on goods and services should be enacted.  Additionally, the Chamber opposes the levying of sales, use or excise taxes by local units of government, or any effort to tax services not currently subject to tax.

Healthcare

National Healthcare Regulation – The Chamber acknowledges the need to address the significant portion of society without healthcare insurance and the responsibility we all have to ensure that American citizens have access to appropriate medical services.  These efforts, though, should not result in higher taxes for individuals or business owners, nor should such action on the federal level lead to unfunded mandates that subsequently hurt the State of Michigan’s ability to provide basic services or grow our local economy.

Taxation of Employer-Provided Health Benefits – Eliminating the state tax (MBT) on employer-provided health benefit plans.

Education - Promoting consumer-driven health plans and improving employee and consumer education.

Cost Control and Competition - Supporting state and federal efforts to hold down employer-provided health care cost increases and expand competition and choice in the marketplace.

Employment & Workplace Regulations

Right-To-Work Legislation – In this economic time where Michigan is lagging the rest of the United States in nearly all economic indicators, new ideas must be considered to better help businesses thrive in our state.  The Chamber supports undertaking a serious effort toward making Michigan a right-to-work state giving employers greater flexibility in managing the workforce while providing fair employee wages and benefits (as dictated by the market), as well as due process on employee issues.

Unemployment Benefits - Opposing efforts to increase the current level of unemployment insurance benefits.

Wage Controls – While the Chamber encourages businesses to compensate employees fairly, it is important to allow the free enterprise system to determine wages on its own based upon natural forces and conditions without governmental intervention, restriction or forced escalation. The Chamber, therefore, opposes the implementation of wage controls including local/state minimum wage, living wage and prevailing wage ordinances.

Ergonomic Regulations - Opposing mandatory ergonomics standards while supporting voluntary and cooperative efforts between labor and management to promote safety in the workplace.

Overtime Regulations - Opposing any state efforts to block the U.S. Department of Labor’s updated Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime regulations, such as a higher state standard for overtime pay.

Monitoring of Communication and Equipment Use - Protecting the rights of employers to monitor employee communications and the utilization of equipment and supplies provided by the employer.

Management Rights - Opposing future legislative efforts that interfere with an employer’s ability to make management and staffing decisions.

Legal System

Medical Liability Laws - Supporting current Michigan laws pertaining to medical liability and product liability.

No-Fault Insurance System - Preserving Michigan’s No-Fault insurance system and opposing attempts to reduce the tort liability threshold or increase benefit or coverage thresholds.

Asbestos Liability - Supporting reform of the asbestos liability system.

Energy

Long-Term Strategy – A long-term strategy should be developed to ensure that a reliable supply of power and other energy resources are available to Michigan communities, businesses and consumers utilizing a diverse mix of fuels.

Land Use

Brownfield Tax Credit – Increasing certainty in the Brownfield Tax Credit process by making those credits of $200,000 or less self implementing, which will help to encourage the redevelopment of contaminated properties.

Property Cleanup - Continuing support for Michigan’s existing cleanup standards and liability provisions contained in Part 201 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act.  Causation liability and risk-based clean up standards are essential components for a successful Brownfield clean-up program.

Regional Cooperation – Policies should be developed that encourage regional cooperation for planning and land use, including developing new revenue sharing approaches.

Local Regulatory Powers – The Chamber opposes the creation of new regulatory powers by local units of government that are designed to increase the cost of development, such as impact fees and urban growth boundaries.

Solid Waste and Recycling

Waste Reduction Strategy – A statewide strategy for the cost-effective management of solid waste, recycling and litter control should be developed and measured over time to assess results.

Cost and Effectiveness of Government

Michigan Constitutional Convention – The practice of assessing process – whether it be in government or private business – and pursuing alternative solutions is good and necessary for progress.  In a political atmosphere like Michigan’s where special interests and the power of lobbyists present a significant stumbling block to achieving such progress, however, a Constitutional Convention at this time would be a difficult struggle and cost the taxpayers of Michigan millions of dollars.  The Chamber, therefore, does not support a Constitutional Convention until such time as other higher priority needs such as the state budget and state tax policy, comprehensive economic development policy and proper management of natural resources are addressed.

Term Limits – It has become evident over the past decade that term limits in Michigan are having a negative impact on the effectiveness of our state legislators.  Too often legislators just begin to build effective relationships with elected leaders and policy makers when they must refocus their energies and political activity toward securing another elected office or leaving their civic role completely.  The result is a group of elected leaders with minimal experience and less opportunity to compromise between party ideologies.  The Chamber supports the elimination of term limits in Michigan and a rethinking of how the work of state government is organized. 

Tax Policy Decision-Making - The appropriations process for all levels of government should not drive tax policy decisions.

Government Efficiency - Support efforts to improve government operational effectiveness.

State Budget Development – To minimize recurring failures in development of the state’s budget projections and planning, the Chamber supports transitioning to a two-year budget plan and implementation of more frequent reviews of actual spending experience going forward.

Telecommunications

Development of Infrastructure - Encouraging private sector development of Michigan’s telecommunications infrastructure through the establishment of a lower tax burden that is more competitive with other states.

Transportation

Tax Accountability - Maintain accountability for transportation related taxes and spending by opposing efforts to automatically increase or index transportation related taxes and user fees on an annual basis.

Protection of Funding - Protecting transportation funding by opposing any effort to divert state user fees to non-transportation related programs and projects.

Environment

Protection of the Great Lakes – The Great Lakes are Michigan’s most important natural resource and proper stewardship and protection is necessary to ensure their continued value to our state.  The Chamber supports taking all necessary measures to protect this resource from encroachment by foreign fish species or harmful development activities within current and future revenue constraints.