Alliance Crafting 2017 Legislative Agenda

The Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance will focus next year on issues critical to Northern Michigan’s business community, specifically on building and maintaining a strong workforce for the region.

Among those priorities, according to Wood, are state initiatives to improve housing opportunities and options for Northern Michigan residents, including young individuals and families who face serious housing shortages in some parts of the region. Another major issue is talent attraction and retention to make sure there is a sufficient labor force in the region to continue growing the area economy – a topic closely related to the housing issue, Wood noted.

Wood said the Alliance will also continue to monitor potential changes to the state’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and tax increment financing (TIF) laws. The Alliance wants to ensure that these programs remain viable options and opportunities for our region’s smaller commercial districts, while providing for transparency and accountability to benefit communities and taxpayers.

For more information on these and other efforts of the Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance, contact Wood at kentw@tcchamber.org