Public Policy

CARPC Proposals
February 26, 2008

The Capital Area Regional Planning Commission is considering proposals relating to Dane County land use, transportation and water quality goals and objectives. 

One amendment that has drawn considerable opposition is the changes to urban and limited service area requirements. 

The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce opposes these changes because it lacks the flexibility required for regional and balanced growth. 

The official GMCC position can be found here.

CARPC is scheduled to take action on this issue on Thursday, February 28 at 7:00 p.m. in Room 201 of the City-County Building.  More information and meeting materials can be found on the CARPC website at www.capitalarearpc.org.

Madison Economic Development Listening Sessions
November 14, 2007

The City of Madison is holding three public listening sessions with consultant Tom Ticknor to discuss the draft 3-5 year Madison Economic Development Strategic Implementation Plan. 

Business leaders are encouraged to attend to share feedback on the drafted recommendations.

Click Here for more information. 

Economic & Community Development Director
October 4, 2007

When the City of Madison's Economic Development Commission published a 2004 report on the City's business climate, one of the top recommendations to the Mayor was the creation of a cabinet-level economic development position.  Mayor Cieslewicz agreed that economic development needed to be a priority and announced creation of this new position last year.

The years of anticipation for this position culminated to the Mayor's recent announcement of his pick for the first Economic and Community Development Director.  Unfortunately, the individual appointed lacks the economic development experience specifically called for in the job description.  This is not a personal reflection on the appointee whose work in the community has earned him respect.  The issue is that the person is not qualified to develop and lead economic development initiatives, a key responsibility listed for the position.

The GMCC is disappointed with the Mayor’s decision and feels the entire city has missed an opportunity with this appointment.  Before becoming official, the appointment must be confirmed by the Common Council.    

Update: Oct 2 – The appointment was referred to seven city committees before returning to the Common Council on November 6th for a final vote. 

Click here for a list of the seven committees the appointment was referred to.  The GMCC encourages anyone interested in testifying on this issue to attend one of the committees.  It’s vital that the business community is heard on this important issue! 

Other resources:

“A Missed Opportunity” – GMCC Business Beat Article

Press Release – The GMCC joined Smart Growth Madison and Downtown Madison, Inc. in a joint press release expressing our opposition to the appointment. 

Timeline of Mayor's Public Commitments to hire a strong economic development director. 

We’ll continue to update this site over the next several weeks.  We encourage you to check back and stay informed on this critical issue!

Regional Transit Authorities - Informational Article
July 25, 2007

GMCC Q&A with Matt Mikolajewski
June 19, 2007

GMCC Common Council Endorsements Announced
February 7, 2007

May 2, 2006

Mandatory Paid Sick Leave  Q & A:

The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors opposes the proposed mandatory paid sick leave ordinance because it imposes a financial mandate on locally owned businesses in an attempt to solve a societal issue. The Chamber encourages businesses to treat employees fairly and offer them a mutually agreeable wage and benefits package. However, a prescribed set of benefits does not allow businesses and their employees the flexibility to design a wage and benefits package that best meets their needs and desires.

The second substitute to the ordinance is likely to be voted on by the Common Council at their May 16 meeting. Please click here for a document that contains the primary questions and answers about the latest version of the mandatory paid sick leave ordinance. 

GMCC Opposes the Wisconsin Taxpayer Protection Amendment
April 12, 2006

The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce (GMCC) Board of Directors opposes the Wisconsin Taxpayer Protection Amendment and has urged legislators to vote against SJR 63 and AJR 77.

Mandatory Sick Leave Modifications Proposed
March 10, 2006

Modifications to the mandatory paid sick leave ordinance have recently been introduced by Alderperson Austin King.  Although he calls this new version a compromise, the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce wishes to be clear that we were not part of any negotiations for change.  In fact, we continue to oppose the mandated measure because it asks businesses to bear the entire cost of addressing the societal issue of assisting low-income workers.

Stem Cell Research in Wisconsin
March 3, 2006

The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce (GMCC) announced today its support for stem cell research in Wisconsin, and specifically for Senate Bill 603 introduced by Senator Mark Miller (D-Monona).  The GMCC believes that the protection of this research is extremely important to the growth of the local economy in Greater Madison, and will continue to make this region a powerhouse for biotechnology and research in this country. 

Mandatory Sick Leave Ordinance
December 28, 2005
The proposed mandatory sick leave ordinance requiring Madison employers to provide paid sick leave was introduced at a Madison Common Council Meeting in late September. The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce opposes any wage and benefits decisions being made at the local level, and believes these issues should be handled at the state or federal level.  Read more...

Lobbying Ordinance Summary Available
November 8, 2005

Public Policy Strategic Goals
March 11, 2005

Vote!
March 10, 2005

What:  Spring General Election

When:  April 5, 2005, 7:00a.m. -  8:00 p.m.

Where: To find out where your polling place is located, click here: http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/clerk/voter_query.cfm.

Madison Common Council Candidate Information
March 9, 2005

At the GMCC, we believe that civic involvement is key to creating a local government that truly represents the interests and the voices of all people. In an effort to educate the public and encourage them to get involved in the Spring elections, we have created profiles and sent questionnaires to all of the candidates running for Common Council.  Attached, please find responses from those candidates that completed questionnaires, as well as a synopsis and easy-to read-chart that summarizes the information gathered. 

Lobbying Ordinance
March 9, 2005
Sponsored by Common Council President Brenda Konkel and Alder Mike Verveer, the Common Council of the City of Madison brought changes to the existing Lobbying Ordinance designed to define, record and more stringently regulate the activities of lobbyists in the City of Madison, to the council floor for a vote (January, 2005).  At the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce (GMCC), we were immediately concerned about the impact of the amendments on small businesses in Madison.  Read More...

Big Box Ordinance
March 8, 2005

As a proponent of business in the Greater Madison Area, the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce (GMCC) stands in opposition to the current version of the Madison Common Council’s “Big Box Ordinance.”  Read More...

Minimum Wage Information
March 7, 2005

On March 30, 2004, the Common Council for the City of Madison adopted into law an ordinance to increase the minimum wage in Madison to $7.75 by January of 2008. The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce did not support this proposal due to its potentially negative impact on Madison’s regional economy.  Read More...

City of Madison Smoking Ban
March 6, 2005
On April 20, 2004, the Common Council of the City of Madison adopted into law an ordinance to ban smoking from nearly all restaurants, bars and businesses.  Read More...