Written by Todd J. Tranum President/CEO Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce
and Executive Director of the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier

     Recently the New York State Senate and Legislature approved the Governors proposal for a one day per week furlough of public employees. It is certainly not a pleasant situation that the State faces and it is having an economic impact on working people within government. Yet without a sound budget in place and as Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli warns that the state could run out of cash in June, these difficult measures have to be taken. Several states have resorted to furloughs to close budget gaps. In the face of the most challenging economy since the great depression, private businesses of all sizes have reduced their workforce or enacted layoffs and furloughs.

Written by Todd J. Tranum, President/CEO, Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce and Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier

     As a nation we must develop a diversity of energy sources and make significant strides toward developing and harnessing renewable energy opportunities. Specific to Chautauqua County and our region there are opportunities in wind energy development. As citizens of Chautauqua County we must keep an open mind to wind power. Wind provides a means of diversifying our energy portfolio. Wind presents an opportunity to increase the income for landowners, expand the tax base and create economic growth. New Jobs can be created that directly support the wind industry. Secondly, jobs can be created within the supply chain of industries that provide the components for windmill manufacturing.

     In March of 2010, census forms will be delivered to every residence in the United States and Puerto Rico. When you receive yours, just answer the 10 short questions and then mail the form back in the postage-paid envelope provided. The information affects the numbers of seats our state occupies in the U.S. House of Representatives. And people from many walks of life use census data to advocate for causes, prevent diseases, research markets, locate pools of skilled workers and more.

The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce and the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier are calling the governor’s budget a step in the right direction but expresses concerns that it does little to protect rural communities that are taking a beating in local property taxes. “What is not clear in this budget is how the average taxpayer in New York is going to be protected from cost shifting to the localities,” stated Hans Auer, Chairman of the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce. “Reductions in aid to local governments and cuts in school aid, both components of the governor’s budget, force local municipalities and school districts to turn to property tax revenues to fill budget holes. While we may pay no more taxes directly to the state, the cost shifting strategies in the budget will likely result in increased property taxes to meet local shortfalls."

The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce recently named Hans Auer, Chairman at its annual meeting. During his comments at the event, Auer said the Chamber’s role is to be an “agent of positive change with a primary focus on initiatives that create an improved business environment and developing services that provide value to our membership.”

In the next few weeks, residents of the Fredonia and Brocton School districts will participate in a straw poll to decide whether to go forward with a vote for centralization. While there are many issues residents must consider, most would say that preservation and growth of educational opportunities is their primary concern, second only to the control of property tax rates.

The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce has announced that the Jamestown Community Chamber has co-located its offices with the Downtown Jamestown Development Corp. (DJDC) at 19 West Third Street, Jamestown.  “This move is part of an overall strategy to create a stronger partnership with organizations in the county and local communities to deliver more support and more value to the business community,” stated Todd Tranum, President/CEO of the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce. “As part of our new community development model, we are striving to create partnerships with local organizations like the DJDC to support the business community and help support economic development efforts.”

We are excited to announce a new offering of high quality and competitively priced health insurance benefits that are available to you right now. We have listened to you throughout the past several years, we have surveyed your needs and we have researched a variety of options. To meet your health insurance needs we have created a partnership with Liazon Benefits and Univera to present to you the Bright Choices™ program.

The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce is reminding members about the availability of Shop Chautauqua County Gift Checks as a fast, easy and meaningful way to recognize their employees at year end for a job well done.

The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce has announced the names of the organizations and individuals who will be honored at its Annual Awards Banquet to be held Thursday, October 8, 2009.