POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE

2022 Has Already Been a Busy Year for the Chamber Governmental Affairs Committee

by: Aimee Bright, VP of Governmental/Military Affairs

The Bay County Chamber of Commerce Governmental Affairs Committee hit the ground running at the Bay Legislative Delegation meeting in January. Chairman Garrett Anderson welcomed Senator Gainer and Representatives Trumbull and Drake and presented our 2022 Legislative Agenda. The Legislative Agenda was well received by our elected officials. The Chamber took the opportunity that evening to listen to other organizations and community members voice their opinions and concerns on a variety of topics in Bay County. The Bay Legislative Delegation meeting is an important chance for the community to have elected officials come into the community and hear from their constituents. The Governmental Affairs Committee will continue to attend this meeting every year.

Affordable housing continues to be an important issue for the Chamber and the community. The county convened the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, which Anderson was able to participate in as a planning commissioner. The committee was able to review policies and make recommendations to the county on how to facilitate the creation and acquisition of affordable housing.

There are tools and incentives that make the process quicker for developers and homebuyers as well as funds to truly make home buying more affordable.

The Leadership Bay class was able to visit Tallahassee after a year hiatus due to COVID-19. The class experienced a Florida government 101 workshop with our new Bay County Chamber Board Member, Eddie Thompson, and learned the true process of our state legislation session. They had the opportunity to speak with Representative Trumbull, Department of Economic Opportunity Secretary Dane Eagle, Department of Education Senior Chancellor Oliva and Senator Gainer’s staff as well as tour the CFO’s office. The Leadership Bay trip to Tallahassee is an important session for these future community leaders. It provides exposure to how state leaders and the different departments of government interact as well as the impact of building those relationships so the Chamber can better advocate for the Florida Panhandle. As the Chamber continues to grow community leaders, sessions like this are crucial for strengthening their commitment to community involvement that will affect positive change in Bay County.

In the Chamber’s 2022 Business plan, the Board of Directors set one of their key objectives to develop and execute an education improvement plan; specifically to research data to determine if a hired superintendent would better serve Bay County. This objective sparked media coverage and in turn, got the conversation of a hired vs elected superintendent position happening in the community. The Chamber understands this is a hot topic and is doing its due diligence in exploring the options. One area of discussion is the vast difference in qualifications between a hired and elected superintendent. An elected superintendent has very few required qualifications, whereas a hired position has many designated qualifications and requirements. As the Chamber continues to research data and fiscal management policies, the need is very apparent that the time is now for the business community to take the lead in demanding excellence in our public school system and holding our school district officials accountable.

Another topic the Governmental Affairs Committee addressed was school board member salaries. HB 1467 was filed by Representative Garrison from the 18th Congressional District. This bill covers a couple of issues in education and in its original form, repealed the salaries of school board members in the state of Florida. The Governmental Affairs Committee took quick action with HB 1467 and the Board of Directors approved a letter stating the Chamber’s strong support for school board member salaries. Letters were sent to Representatives Trumbull and Drake and the amendment to HB 1467 allowing school board members to remain salaried while adding a provision to enact consecutive term limits was approved.

The Chamber closed the month of February with its annual trip to Tallahassee to have one-on-one conversations with our legislators as well as key officials in FDOT, FWC, DEO and DOE. The Chamber also attended Northwest Florida Days, which is a gathering of various Northwest Florida Chambers, economic development organizations and tourism partners. There was a strong message throughout the Northwest Florida Days events: it is vital that we continue to advocate for the Florida Panhandle in Tallahassee. Representatives Andrade and Salazar as well as Senators Broxson and Ausley all gave updates on what was happening in session this year, but more importantly, each stated that it was crucial to continue to build relationships in Tallahassee and reaffirmed that in-person meetings play a significant role in advocacy for Bay County.

The Chamber felt one-on-one meetings were very productive and successful. The Chamber met with Representative Trumbull to discuss our Legislative Agenda in more detail. These meetings can be a little fast and furious, as they cover a lot of ground. Topics discussed with Representative Trumbull included infrastructure and transportation priorities, affordable housing, support for VISIT Florida, blight acquisition in Bay County, future growth at Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, workforce development and competitive Florida tax refunds to help further our economic development and attract more new businesses to Florida. This meeting was also an opportunity for Representative Trumbull to ask for feedback on issues happening during session.

Department of Economic Opportunity Secretary, Dane Eagle, and several of his staff members met with the Chamber group. A number of topics were covered with secretary Eagle, including the Chamber’s Board of Directors number one priority, the Panama City Convention Center. It was another productive meeting as Secretary Eagle and his staff provided insight and potential solutions to issues presented. The Chamber learned about a number of grant opportunities that municipalities can take advantage of to move priorities forward. The Chamber was also able to thank DEO for their continued efforts and support as we continue to rebuild after Hurricane Michael.

The Chamber had a constructive meeting with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and were able to thank them for the artificial reef building. It has made a significant difference, enhancing the habitat of our fishery. The Chamber had discussion in reference to opposition to Vessel Monitoring System for for-hire boats, head-boats and charter boats as well as the challenges surrounding accurate data collection of Red Grouper and other fisheries.

As a part of the Chamber’s one-on-one meetings, several members of the group met with staff from Florida Department of Transportation. The Chamber subject matter expert, Ben Faust, took the lead on this meeting. There were many subjects discussed, which included the continued Hwy 390 widening, Phillip Griffitts Sr. Parkway and Highway 231. The Chamber made it a point to express its appreciation for the help that FDOT has given Bay County and the continued support being offered. The gratitude was well received and it was clear continued support will be forthcoming.

The Chamber ended its time in Tallahassee with an informal sit down with Senator Gainer. As with other meetings, the Chamber was able to discuss a number of topics and have a productive discussion about the future of Bay County.