As the US Chamber of commerce works to support the interests of large corporations, smaller local chambers struggle for survival.
Examples in Southwest Virginia include the City of Radford's chamber on life support while Franklin County's chamber doors are closing due to a lack of funding. A recent chamber summit in Roanoke examined barriers to entrepreneurship while Montgomery County's chamber remains in a legal limbo, unable to offer members more than fund raising in order keep their own doors open.
Economic development efforts -- macro and micro -- abound, yet become more fragmented under these conditions. Interactions between companies providing jobs and officials who set the business climate through tax rates can become strained.
In the NRV this plays out in civic organizations taking a downtown festival over as a major funding source instead of cultivating a strong business climate where it holds the event. Private companies may "partner" with nonprofits to get themselves established and provide income to their principals under the guise of community development. Blacksburg's signature event continues to generate funding to support their sixteen blocks while Redford events that close public streets draw the ire of some business owners. In Christiansburg, competition to control concession sales at recreation events or have a presence is becoming as strong as the young athletes' desire to win.
When these competing needs are not finely balanced, business growth may decline or diminish -- leading to fewer jobs, more commercial vacancies, less discretionary spending and thus lower tax collections for local governments.
This creates more pressure on the remaining avenue to generate enough to cover increasing costs of government services. Real estate and personal property taxes.
Without a strong chamber or inclusive civic engagement, without government creating true business-friendly environments -- who grows and sustains local business, which generates jobs and provides to a diverse tax base?