FEBRUARY 18, 2010 ISSUE
Comments from Boone Chamber’s January 27 Legislative Reception
Brudzinski Identifies Future Priorities for Chamber, Town, County
The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a Legislative Reception at Chetola Resort on January 27. In attendance were representatives of North Carolina legislature, Watauga County Commissioners, Watauga County Board of Education, Boone Town Council, Boone Area Chamber of Commerce and BB&T.
George Brudzinski, chair of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, made the following comments at the event:
“We all realize your public service commitment has never been more demanding as it is today with the added concern of uncertainty with our current economic state. With all the frustration at times and the tough decisions made daily, please know that we, the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, truly appreciates your commitment to our community and your desire to make our area a better place to live, work and play.”
Brudzinski listed the following priorities the chamber identified: job creation, tourism, ASU and being “pro-business.”
“We feel that creating opportunities for employment should be the No. 1 consideration. Over the last 16 months, our chamber has experienced a membership loss of over 95 businesses—a direct effect of our economic times—with many closing their doors or reducing employees to reduce cost. We don’t have to be reminded that our area’s economic health depends on our local business climate.
“We encourage and expect our Town Council and County Commissioners to make a serious effort to create and maintain a level of employment we have experienced in the past. Realize that our current 850-plus member businesses employ our citizens and provide, directly and indirectly, funding for a large part of our governmental cost. Now more than ever is the time to take initiatives to help, and remove any roadblocks which may hinder our local businesses from getting back on their feet and do what they do best: create jobs, grow their business and prosper.”
In regards to tourism, Brudzinski said, “Our TDAs have taken aggressive steps in promoting our communities, and we strongly encourage our local governments to continue their support of their marketing and promotional programs.”
He gave the following numbers for Watauga County: $519,890 as daily tourism spending, $120,109 for a daily payroll for 2510 workers and $47,260 as the annual tourism taxes collected per day, which offset the state and local taxes residents would have to pay. The tourism taxes collected amount to $1,522 in savings per year for a family of four.
Brudzinski said that ASU “is a tremendously important part of our community, and we appreciate the positive relationship developed with the town, county and the chamber. We strongly encourage a unified discussion of all of their newly adopted long range plans, to continue this positive cooperation in the future and reduce duplication of effort.”
The Chamber has direct contact with more than 850 businesses in the community, he said.
“We encourage our Town Council members and our County Commissioners to utilize the chamber’s commitments to the businesses in our community by continuing their support for meaningful progressive economic development now and in the future,” he said.
Brudzinski listed the following examples of “pro-business” activities to be supported: implementation of the Citizen Plan for Watauga County, continued support for entrepreneurship and new job creation, refinement and implementation of the UDO for the town, cooperative efforts to expand water and sewer for future economic development, cooperative efforts to meet a growing need for work-force housing, innovative educational initiatives to prepare students for the growing global 21st-century economy and taking the initiative to create jobs to reopen the Blue Ridge Parkway for tourism during its 75th-year anniversary.”
“Being pro-business means: supporting job creators, the men and women who run small and large businesses, those who lead our university, our healthcare facilities and the many other organizations that employ our local workforce,” he said.
Community Interest
News & Notes
Events
Arts & Entertainment
