Page 18 - Chester County Chamber - 2024 Guide & Membership Directory

ADVOCACY
ADVOCATING
FOR YOUR
BUSINESS
IN CHESTER COUNTY, HARRISBURG
AND WASHINGTON, DC.
The Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry serves
as your advocate for issues that affect your business —
whether those issues occur at the federal, state, county or
municipal level.
One of the key instruments of Chamber advocacy is the Government
Affairs Committee (GAC). GAC takes action to inform Chamber members
and influence public policy, ensuring business concerns are heard by
county commissioners, state legislators and federal representatives.
Through legislative tracking, maintaining relationships with key
decision makers in the public sector, and writing letters and
published editorials on important issues, the Chamber works
to improve the business climate in Chester County, Southeast
Pennsylvania and across the Commonwealth.
For more insight into the Chamber’s advocacy work and how
members can get involved, we spoke to GAC Chair Charles
Boruchowitz as well as Alex Rahn, Principal of government relations
firm AxAdvocacy and the Chamber’s Government Affairs Consultant.
16 Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
WAYS THE CHAMBER ADVOCATES ON BEHALF
OF MEMBERS?
Rahn: We reach out to elected officials and other decision
makers on behalf of the Chamber membership for issues of
importance. We also educate the Chamber members themselves
on issues that may be of impact. Part of it is informing our
membership on the issues and receiving their feedback, then
taking action with elected officials. We inform members via
monthly Government Affairs Committee meetings as well as
weekly updates via email and social media.
Boruchowitz: At our committee meetings, we bring
in special speakers or elected officials either locally in
Chester County, or sometimes we bring in state senators or
representatives. They may also be officials from Philadelphia,
Montgomery County or Lancaster County — they don’t
physically represent us, but may still have an impact on Chester
County businesses. We bring these lawmakers to the table so
they get to listen firsthand to our members — both of the GAC
and the Chamber as a whole. We also engage our lawmakers
with letters of support, joining forces with other Chambers and
advocacy groups to urge policy changes that will have real,
meaningful impact for our members.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE KEY ADVOCACY
ISSUES YOU’RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON?
Rahn: Business tax reform is an important one, particularly
something called net operating loss reform. Housing and
workforce development are two big current issues. We’ve heard
consistently from members of all shapes and sizes that they
cannot find people to hire or, if they do find the hire, finding
affordable housing is an issue. We’ve also done a lot with working
parents and access to childcare.
Currently, we’re tracking over 200 pieces of legislation on the
state level alone that could have an impact on local businesses —
economic development, regulatory reform, tourism, healthcare,
housing, childcare, and we’re even tracking some hospitality issues.
We’re also closely looking at medical malpractice and a practice
called venue shopping that can really affect the size of settlements
and lead to increases in health insurance rates.
Boruchowitz: Housing has been one of our big ones this year.
It’s harder and harder for young families to live here, and it spills
into workforce development — if you can’t find workers, it may be
because housing is tremendously expensive. We’re also focused
on tourism because we have a lot of big upcoming events in the
Philadelphia region that will be a huge boon to Chester County.
Energy costs continue to spike, so that’s another issue we’re tracking
closely. There’s a ripple effect not just on residential costs, but also
on businesses. And certainly infrastructure, specifically public transit
funding. We’re looking at expanding SEPTA access in Coatesville.