The Columbia Chamber of Commerce released its 2019 Local Agenda and priorities for the City of Columbia and Boone County. The policies addressed in the agenda were strategically chosen based off a combination of the Chamber’s Strategic Plan and feedback from the business community. The Chamber’s priorities represent and advocate for what Columbia’s citizens and business community have asked for and continue to request.

“In order to continue advancing our city and county, we must call on our leaders to keep their attention on important issues and finding solutions for them,” Columbia Chamber of Commerce President Matt McCormick said. “Our local priorities not only will continue to keep the focus on these issues, but it will also engage the citizens to be more involved and create a more complete final product.”

The Chamber’s 2019 local priorities are:

1. Encourage Columbia City Council to align the city’s budget with citizen-identified priorities through the City of Columbia’s Citizen Survey and its Strategic Plan.
2. Convene interested parties to develop a comprehensive plan for public safety.
3. Continue to advance efforts to complete the Columbia Regional Airport terminal project.
4. Continue to work with the Columbia City Council to support the outcome of ballot measures as proposed and approved by the voters.
5. Support policies that encourage local private development of workforce and affordable housing.
6. Advocate to make Columbia City Council meetings more efficient, so to be transparent with the citizens of Columbia and to promote opportunity for involvement by all in the community.

“Columbia is in a position to continue to move our community forward in major ways,” McCormick said. “The way we do this is by continuously developing a better business environment.”

You can download the 2019 Columbia Chamber of Commerce Local Agenda here.

The Columbia Chamber of Commerce was established in 1905 and is a voluntary, member-supported organization of business, industrial and professional people who are dedicated to developing, promoting and maintaining a sound and healthy economic climate for Columbia. The Columbia Chamber of Commerce is recognized as a 5-Star Accredited Chamber by the United States Chamber of Commerce. This places it in the top percentage of chambers of commerce in the country.