Over the past two years, the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce has assisted its members in adjusting to the COVID-19 pandemic’s unprecedented economic impact. According to Chamber President Steve Roberts, the statewide business advocacy organization is beginning to focus on what comes next now that the pandemic restrictions have been lifted and businesses are well into the so-called “new normal.”
We are evaluating where and how the Chamber is assisting in the recovery from the economic downturn the nation endured that ended approximately a year ago,” he said. “We’re on the page that all has turned out very well, and we’re excited about the future of our organization.”
According to Roberts, the Chamber’s initial priorities in the early stages of the pandemic included assisting its members in gaining access to and comprehending the flood of constantly evolving information coming from the local, state, and federal levels.
“We were pleased to be able to assist a large number of businesses by converting a great deal of communications to virtual and online communication,” he said. “We’re proud of having been able to guide many small businesses through the government issues related to the American Rescue Plan and how to participate, how to fill out paperwork and answer the questions correctly.”
According to Roberts, two of the most pressing issues facing Chamber members right now are workforce development and customer base growth.
“All businesses need employees and all businesses need customers,” he said. “Fundamentally, we have many businesses that we work with that are interested in reaching out and expanding their customer base, and we don’t go anyplace where we don’t talk to large numbers of employers who are simply having difficulty keeping [up] with workforce staff.”
But according to Roberts, the problems with workforce development in West Virginia weren’t brought on solely by the pandemic.
“In West Virginia we have had, approximately for the last decade, a declining population and an aging population. Those things, together, don’t necessarily bring new workers into the workforce,” he said. “So we anticipate that much of efforts in the future will be focused on helping businesses that are in West Virginia expand and broaden their customer base and helping to be part of the solution to the talent-and-workforce pipeline.”
The Chamber will continue to promote and inform the public about the passage of Amendment 2 in the weeks left before the November general election, according to Roberts.
The West Virginia Authorize Tax Exemptions for Vehicles and Personal Property Used for Business Amendment, also known as Amendment 2 or the Property Tax Modernization Amendment, would allow the Legislature to change Article X of the state Constitution to exempt tangible personal property used for business activities and motor vehicle taxes from state property taxes.
“We are, of course, proponents of Amendment 2,” he said. “We’ve determined that West Virginia really stands alone in the nation in having such a barrier to economic development and job creation. We want to get Amendment 2 passed because we believe it will open up the door to more opportunities for more people in West Virginia.”
According to Roberts, the Chamber, which has members in all 55 counties and employs more than half of the state’s workforce, will formalize its legislative agenda ahead of the West Virginia Legislature’s regular session next year.
“Our legislative program, as it always does, will focus on helping make sure that the Legislature is thinking about what can help businesses succeed and grow in West Virginia,” he said. “Is that attracting employees? Is that a business climate that encourages growth and investment? Is that a tax plan that causes businesses to want to grow and profit in West Virginia? All of those things will be on our list.”
