Having a set of ideas helps to make good selections. Right here on the Higher Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, our group is steered by a set of guiding ideas that had been established to advance our mission. Because the catalysts for enterprise and group development, our ideas are rooted in a shared perception; a sturdy enterprise atmosphere will yield a thriving group. When our Board of Administrators take a place on points that affect these beliefs, they seek the advice of our ideas for steerage. Earlier this week, that course of culminated in our Board endorsing the creating of Kids’s Companies Council (CSC) for Leon County.

Like every place taken by our Board, a lot consideration is given to how a problem applies to our guiding ideas. Within the case of the CSC, there are two ideas which are straight relevant.

They’re written as follows:

  • We imagine tax and price burdens ought to be minimized on enterprise, and we’ll solely help a rise in taxes or charges on native enterprise that demonstrates measurable profit to native enterprise and the financial system.
  • We imagine a sturdy expertise improvement system ought to be created that helps our present workforce wants and establishes a expertise pipeline to meet future workforce calls for.
Primarily based on these ideas, the Board spent over two years engaged in discussions about how the creation of a CSC would affect the way forward for each companies and our broader group.

When first approached by CSC supporters in 2018, our Board requested for extra time and a devoted course of to assist our group be taught extra about this methodology for investing in higher outcomes for kids. As a consequence, numerous native leaders participated in a public research course of to perceive the total scope of our group wants and form what a CSC would possibly appear to be. In the meantime, our Board and employees started participating with each our members and different Chambers from round Florida to get a sense of how such a mannequin would possibly have an effect on the financial system. Whereas this work was being carried out, two issues grew to become more and more clear.

First, Tallahassee’s wants are substantial – with almost 20% of our kids residing under the poverty line there may be a rising disaster affecting our most susceptible residents. This leads to a good portion of our group going through troublesome residing situations and challenged profession prospects. We will and should do higher.

Secondly, when taking a look at how different CSC efforts have been carried out across the State of Florida there may be mounting proof to help sustained and focused investments in applications that straight assist kids with their improvement. CSC funds are used to promote college readiness, present improved healthcare, and permit for different improvement wants that in flip assist to create higher group outcomes together with a rising, wholesome, and well-educated workforce. All issues which are wanted in our hometown.

Taking these realities under consideration, this Spring the Chamber Board initiated the evaluate and improvement of a place assertion in help of a CSC for our group. With enter from our Enterprise Advocacy Committee and suggestions from members, the Board was in a position to craft a assertion that’s rooted in our ideas and aimed toward creating a brighter way forward for the kids of Tallahassee and Leon County.

This November, voters throughout our group can have the chance to determine whether or not to create a CSC right here. The Chamber Board is encouraging residents to vote “YES.” The creation of a CSC for Leon County is not going to clear up all our challenges, nevertheless it does provide us a possibility to make a distinction. For a small funding, we are able to all assist to create a extra equitable group for each little one who’s blessed to be born right here. The CSC provides us the prospect to create a higher model of our future and that’s one thing all of us ought to help. On this case, a thriving group will assist form a higher enterprise atmosphere and that’s squarely consistent with what we imagine.

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