2024 Public Policy Agenda

Due to demographic shifts and well documented talent drain, diversity and inclusion provides an essential strategy to expand talent pipelines, build the workforce, and drive market development in the region. Promoting the business case for diversity and economic inclusion is a key priority to achieving that objective.

• Support programs and initiatives that strategically serve to increase diversity and inclusion market participation in the region
• Advance a procurement pilot program, pairing non-profits, for profits, and government agencies, to expand the economic footprint of historically marginalized businesses in Chattanooga and Hamilton County
• Support training and development to expand procurement and suppliers’ diversity business opportunities to grow markets and increase economic participation
• Address legislation that impacts diversity and economic inclusion, to attract talent, support supplier diversity, and advance business development

Growing our region’s economy and advancing sustainable community development are at the core of our mission. To ensure our region continues to thrive, we support projects and concepts that enhance quality of place, making Chattanooga and Hamilton County more attractive for living, working, visiting, and growing business.

EXPANDING THE TOOLS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

• Support efforts to streamline and grow our economic incentive toolbox, including the use of Payment in Lieu of Tax (PILOT) and Tax Increment Finance (TIF) to enhance our economic development opportunities in Hamilton County.
• Commitment to working with state, city, and county to develop additional innovative solutions that will incent economic growth and ensure competitiveness
• Continue to partner with Hamilton County government to maintain the impact of the INCubator while supporting policies that keep barriers to entrepreneurship minimal
• Support local government participation in industrial site and business park development, to further support new business recruitment and retention and expansion of existing businesses
• Support efforts to rezone, plan and develop infrastructure of a segment of McDonald Farm as a new industrial park
• Support for the creation of a state historic preservation tax credit
• As state and local governments deal with potential funding issues, ensure economic development tools remain fully funded and available for use
• Advocate for efforts to incent and implement a remote worker economic development strategy to help recruit talent to our region

QUALITY OF PLACE

• Support enhanced community amenities and assets which foster talent attraction and retention
• Support blight removal and adaptive reuse strategies, including looking into local government’s building inventory to grow our city’s tax base and improve economic development opportunities
• Support River City Company’s “One Riverfront Strategy” to continue the economic vitality of downtown and the riverfront for both citizens and tourists to our region, including a focus on the Broad Street revitalization and our parks system
• Work with TVA to ensure their existing office footprint is redeveloped to leverage economic development opportunities in the core of Chattanooga
• Support for the rehabilitation and maintenance of the Walnut Street walking bridge
• Support community efforts to provide art and the promotion of our creative economy in Hamilton County
• Supporting the city and county efforts to maintain and grow our parks system and other natural resources
• Support for efforts at the federal level to use tax credits to incent the reuse and repurpose of single-use office spaces
• Support efforts to ensure the state keeps local oversight of “transpotainment vehicles”

HOUSING

• Support efforts to increase market-rate, workforce, and affordable housing throughout Chattanooga and Hamilton County
• Support efforts to streamline permitting for housing units in our region
• Support efforts by elected officials and the community to increase the supply of attainable housing options in Chattanooga and Hamilton County
• Work with partner organization and local government to address the increasing problem of homelessness in our community

REGIONAL COLLABORATION

• Work within the framework of the Greater Chattanooga Economic Partnership and THRIVE Regional Partnership to support improved regional collaboration on issues affecting the greater Chattanooga region

INCREASE BROADBAND ACCESS

• Support increased statewide investment in broadband telecommunications infrastructure, specifically in rural areas, which we’ve seen as critical to education, healthcare, and business retainment and recruitment efforts in our state and region

PROTECTING BUSINESSES

• Ensuring state and local municipal governments have the flexibility to spend federal disaster funds to address specific needs without additional bureaucratic deadlines on when to spend funds
• Support efforts to provide targeted, temporary, and timely federal liability protections for businesses utilizing government issued COVID-19 response guidance

CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION

Support initiatives and opportunities identified in Chattanooga Tourism Co.’s “Convention Center Futures Study” to enhance the economic impact of the convention industry and the desirability of our community for visitors, residents, and businesses

One of the most effective ways to support our region’s workforce is through responsible education policy. From early childhood education to tailored workforce development initiatives, the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce supports legislation that provides our robust education system with the ability to be flexible in order to meet the present and future needs of our workforce.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

• Support funding for high-quality Pre-Kindergarten programming statewide
• Work with and support efforts by Chattanooga 2.0 on their long-range strategic plan on early education and childcare
• Collaborate with statewide partners to advance childcare and early childhood initiatives at the local and state levels

K-12 EDUCATION

• Support existing and future legislation and initiatives that will improve literacy outcomes for our students, specifically by fifth grade
• Support policies and initiatives that provide more freedom to structure education to better fit the needs of students and employers
• Support legislation that limits the liability of companies that partner with the school system for work-based and youth apprenticeship learning programs
• Support efforts to increase the annual funding for K-12 education in Chattanooga and Hamilton County

SCHOOL FACILITIES

• Support proposed efforts by the school’s facilities working group and HCS administration to address Hamilton County Schools and their capital needs through the creation of a long-term comprehensive plan. 

HIGHER EDUCATION

• Support efforts to make higher education in Tennessee more affordable and flexible for students
• Support efforts to provide more flexibility for institutions to be more attuned to the needs of their student and workforce needs in their respective regions
• Support expanded availability of regional manufacturing training
• Support efforts to eliminate out-of-state tuition at community colleges for DREAMers
• Support the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga’s efforts to expand the Gary W. Rollins Business School
• Support increased Quantum and computer science opportunities within our higher education institutions in Chattanooga

CAREER & TECHNICAL EDUCATION

• Support expanded vocational training programs
• Continue to advocate for innovative public-private partnerships like the Construction Career Center to enhance the opportunities for students to address real needs for employers in our region
• Support the expansion of computer sciences programming and other technical programs at UTC and Chattanooga State
• Support Chattanooga State’s Logistics & Transportation Hub project
• Support applied career learning experiences for K-12 students including expansion of youth apprenticeship, work-based learning and internship opportunities for high school students, as well as career exploration opportunities for students K-8 connected to current and future thriving wage career pathways

ENVIRONMENT

• Support energy efficiency and conservation initiatives that preserve our natural beauty while simultaneously avoiding a negative economic impact to the business community
• Support federal efforts that will improve interagency coordination and engagement with the broad stakeholder community to reduce the risks from climate change for companies and communities across the country, prepare ahead of environmentally driven crises, and strengthen our national security

HEALTH

• Support efforts with community partners to improve community health outcomes for our residents
• Support legislative and policy changes that reduce the cost of healthcare and provide additional access to affordable quality health care
• Work with our governmental and nonprofit partners to combat opioid and fentanyl use in the State of Tennessee
• Work with our education and community partners to plan and support a health and wellness district in the city of Chattanooga
• Support the expansion of programs within the Hamilton County jail to provide appropriate care and treatment for individuals suffering from mental health complications

SAFETY

• Support legislation and policies at the local and state levels to enhance public safety and foster an environment where business and our local economy can thrive without undue threat throughout our community
• Support efforts by Chattanooga Police Department, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, first responders, and community partners to improve safety throughout our community for our member businesses and citizens
• Support business through collaboration with national partners on the issue of the illicit trade of goods

It’s no secret that Chattanooga’s geographic location makes it a gateway to the rest of the United States. It is critical that Tennessee, and Chattanooga specifically, invest in infrastructure that encourages businesses and our economy to flourish.

AIR TRANSPORTATION

• Support polices that will enhance future development in and around the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport
• Work with the Airport to advocate for additional state and federal funding to grow the number of flights and additional flight locations
• Support efforts by the Airport Authority to create an air service development fund to support and attract new and increased air service to our community

TRANSPORTATION

• Support our state’s leading role in the growing electric vehicle market
• Support efforts by city and county to invest in more electric vehicle charging stations
• Support policies and initiatives that make it easier for residents to use public transportation
• Support efforts to modernize CARTA’s routes and focus on routes and hubs that connect low-income residents with education and employment centers
• Support the completion of the I-75/I-24 interchange
• Support investments and innovation to ensure our local transportation network infrastructure is coordinated, safe, and moving traffic efficiently

RAIL TRANSPORTATION

• Support federal funding opportunities to assist with construction costs for increased rail capacity at Enterprise South
• Partner with local organizations to explore the feasibility of a regional rail network connecting Chattanooga with both Nashville and Atlanta
• Support Amtrak’s long-range strategic plan, which adds Chattanooga to their regional rail network

INFRASTRUCTURE

• Support efforts to secure a second wastewater treatment plant in Northern Hamilton County
• Support adequate and flexible parking options within the downtown footprint
• Support infrastructure needs for McDonald Farm
• Work to identify specific infrastructure projects and begin to prioritize projects based on need and impact to our community

Support state efforts to address congestion on the state’s highway systems

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENTH

• Support additional funding for the state’s work-based learning grants
• Support enhancement of programs and projects that strengthen the link between publicly funded workforce development initiatives and economic development
• Support criminal justice reform programs that provide vocational, skills training, and job coaching for those re-entering the workforce after a period of incarceration
• Continue to grow business participation with the Future Ready Institutes and Hamilton County Schools
• Advocate for increased skills funding at the federal level, including making Pell Grants eligible for short-term education and training programs that will allow for the re-skilling of workers impacted by the evolving economy
• Support efforts to expand legal immigration opportunities to grow the talent pool of our community
• Expand registered apprenticeships, as well as work-based learning and youth apprenticeships

TALENT

• Support policies that remove impediments for workers to find employment by reforming and updating the unemployment system in the state
• Address the need for affordable, quality childcare to allow workers to re-enter the workforce and in-person employment