Public Policy Committee Statement
January 14, 2022

 

Our Mission

The mission of the Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region is to use collaboration, creativity, and ingenuity to create a regional economic climate conducive to business growth by recruiting talent and businesses of all kinds, growing and retaining employers, while creating a bridge to community and cultural organizations which promote healthy and vibrant neighborhoods and enhance the quality of life in Rutland County.

Goal – To grow the Rutland County Population

The Public Policy Committee of the Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region supports the following initiatives with the belief that our Vermont families and citizens will benefit from growth and broadening of the tax base.  We believe that population growth and business growth are co-dependent.  We must attract new neighbors and we must create an environment that retains those who are already our neighbors.  This can occur because of specific actions that include supporting business growth and development, as well as actions that support families and the members of those families who bring with them the skill and energy powering our businesses.

We will be a community where similarities and differences are respected and celebrated with the goal of equal advancement of opportunity within the regional economy.  The CEDRR Board recognizes that cultural diversity plays a key role in economic growth, as people from diverse backgrounds bring language skills, unique experiences, new ways of thinking, innovative ideas and creative solutions to difficult problems.   Therefore, the CEDRR Board condemns racism and welcomes all persons, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, age, or disability, and supports the protection of these classes.  As an organization, we condemn discrimination in all its forms and commit to fair and equal treatment of everyone in the communities we serve.

Therefore, we support prioritizing quality of life incentives and actions that:

  1. result in safe, reliable childcare, which includes livable wage childcare worker pay and benefits.
  2. increase quality affordable housing options by incentivizing owners and developers with public/private partnerships.
  3. result in broadband/fiber availability for all households, including support for Communication Union Districts.
  4. encourage enrollment in Vermont’s higher education system through active integration of student loan forgiveness programs by incentivizing businesses, specifically those in high need areas such as medical/nursing, dental, behavioral health, home & community based service and opioid & substance abuse treatment.
  5. encourage collaborative approaches to capitalize on cost effective clean energy solutions in support of businesses and families.
  6. examine the potential value-added outcome of significantly reducing or eliminating taxation of military, emergency services, and other public safety related retirement benefits, thus encouraging those professionals to retire in Vermont. In regard to military pensions the Governor, in his address on 1-4-22 suggested, “And let’s finally eliminate the tax on military pensions because if we want members of the military – after a 20-year career – to join our workforce, we must be able to compete with the 47 other states that have already greatly reduced or removed this burden.”
  7. examine the benefits to the state of reducing and or eliminating taxation of Social Security benefits, thus encouraging retention of our population. The Governor noted, “I will put forward a balanced and progressive tax relief package with a focus on those who need it, like retirees…”

 

Furthermore, we support prioritizing economic development incentives and actions that:

 

  1. through the Agency of Commerce and Community Development or other appropriate agency, offer financial grants/incentives to regional entities that are prepared to focus on marketing their region and growing their population, in addition to continuing to fund the Worker Relocation Grant Program and broadening the list of eligible job categories
  2. encourage growth in our downtowns, including Project Based Economic Development (Project Based TIFs) as well as a newly developed initiative that is under development, Grand List Enhancement through VEPC.
  3. help businesses adapt and adjust to the realities of the new economy by authorizing the Agency of Commerce and Community Development to increase the Regional Development Corporation grants to fund workforce navigators for each region to undertake activities to reverse demographic decline. These activities include immigration and refugee resettlement, and Pipeline & Pathways training programs.
  4. support employers with options to grow their employment base and to train employees, by increasing funding for the Vermont Training Program.
  5. increase workforce participation from non-working populations by supporting education and training that attracts retired and/or older Vermonters who have left the workforce.
  6. retain our youth in Vermont by creating relationships through internships and apprenticeship opportunities for graduating students.
  7. eliminate obstacles which stand in the way of timely, efficient, and transparent permitting processes and provide solutions that encourage economic growth while preserving our natural environment both on a statewide and local level. Also, Act 250 requirements should be relaxed or waived for workforce housing planned for state designated areas through changes such as the municipal pre-approval provisions suggested in H.278 and reorganization of the Natural Resources Board into an Environmental Review Board (see H.492).  In his address the Governor suggested that, “to truly make the most of this incredible moment, the time to modernize Act 250 is now.”
  8. address concerns that the total tax burden faced by Vermonters is driving workers across the demographic spectrum from Vermont along with their future earnings and philanthropy.
  9. support funding for Career & Technical Education, and encourage alternative delivery models, which enhance student access. In the Governor’s address on 1-4-22 he followed up comments regarding heath care workers with, “But if we don’t have enough CDL drivers, mechanics and technicians, hospital staff won’t get to work; there will be issues getting the life-saving equipment and supplies we need; and we will see fewer EMTs available to get patients to emergency rooms. If we don’t have enough carpenters, plumbers and electricians, or heating, ventilation, air handling and refrigeration techs, there are fewer to construct and maintain the facilities in our healthcare system or build homes for the workers we are trying to attract….. It is time we end the stigma around CTE.”
  10. adjust and modernize alcohol regulatory and financial policies. Allowing small Vermont distillers to ship directly to consumers would bring Vermont in-line with other states that have already passed a similar measure.
  11. reduce the tax complexity for manufacturing inputs. The RDCs support expanding the sales and use tax exemption for manufacturing machinery and equipment to exempt equipment that is part of an integrated production process, as proposed by H.437.
  12. increase the Capital Investment Program (CIP) to $30 million in FY22. In 2021, the General Assembly funded CIP at $10.5 million.  The first round was heavily oversubscribed.