Advocating for the Business Interests of Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro
Advocating for the Business Interests of Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro
2021 Accomplishments and 2022 Priorities
By Katie Loovis on January 6, 2022
The Chamber is committed to advocating for the business interests of Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro and the Chamber's Government Affairs Committee delivers on that commitment.
The Committee is made up of two dozen volunteers who represent small, mid-size, and large enterprises. Committee members shape our policy positions and advocacy efforts, and are guided by The Chamber's Policy Platform.
Today, the Government Affairs Committee convened for their first monthly meeting of the year. Committee members looked back on their 2021 accomplishments and looked ahead to their 2022 priorities. Scroll down for the quick summary.
2021 Accomplishments
- Delivered 2021 Critical Issues Series. The Critical Issues Series included eight forums featuring influential guest speakers on timely topics with approximately 75-100 community leaders in attendance. The insights gathered from each forum were amplified through 97.9 FM The Hill on air interviews and summaries were shared afterwards. Together, the forums allowed The Chamber to advance thoughtful perspectives in the public square related to the economy, economic and workforce development, the public policy, and local elections.
- Activated the Election Hub during local elections. The Chamber's Election Hub is a one-stop shop for Chamber members and friends to access information about who and what is on the ballot and where and when to vote. The Chamber's candidate surveys were shared widely (full page ads in the Daily Tar Heel, teasers on Chapelboro.com, and significant social media), driving the Election Hub to one of the top ten most most viewed pages on The Chamber’s website in 2021.
- Influenced local policy and budget decisions. The Chamber is committed to making it easier to do business in our community and improve the local economy. To that end, the committee successfully advocated for the adoption of fair and reasonable policy changes such as the new short-term rental policy; the approval of thoughtful (re)development projects such as Aura, The ArtsCenter, E. Rosemary downtown redevelopment project, and University Place; and a sensible reduction in proposed tax increases and increase in emergency funds for local businesses.
- Represented the local business community with key stakeholders. The Chamber made sure no critical decision was made without consideration of local business impact, including decisions related to the university's reopening plan and Covid-related policies and with decisions made by state policy makers at the NC General Assembly. Additionally, The Chamber hosted business roundtables with Durham Tech and the Town of Chapel Hill to ensure business input shaped strategic plans, and activated on hot topics such as the US News & World Report announcement, property tax revaluation, regional transportation, and the NCAA NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) decision.
- Prioritized workforce development. The Chamber helped develop the new Summer Careers Academy and secured $250,000+ in public and private funding; hosted The Workforce Forum to demystify the cash and in-kind resources available to help employers recruit, train, and retain workers; and was a leading voice in addressing talent pipeline challenges throughout the pandemic.
2022 Priorities
Going forward, The Chamber's Government Affairs Committee will advocate for the business interests of Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro and will focus on the following priority issues, programs, and practices:
- Issues: The Chapel Hill Land Use Management Ordinance (LUMO) rewrite and downtown redevelopment, the Carrboro comprehensive plan and 203 Project, the Orange County long-term economic recovery plan (called Orange Forward), regional infrastructure (transportation and mobility), and across all jurisdictions the committee will focus on budgets and advancing the Big Bold Ideas priorities (Innovation & Workforce Development, Affordable Housing, and Education).
- Programs: The 2022 Critical Issues Series, Inter-City Visit, Leadership Chapel Hill-Carrboro, and the Summer Careers Academy.
- Practices: Elections engagement, the orientation of newly-elected officials, and regular communication with Chamber members (blogs and monthly e-newsletter).
For questions or to get involved with Chamber policy, advocacy, and government affairs, contact Chamber Vice President of External Affairs, Katie Loovis.