Doug Whitley discusses the business climate in Illinios and how to improve it.

The St. Charles Chamber of Commerce Legislative Committee provides a series of programs that provide meaningful information to Chamber members on federal, state, and local legislative topics. 

Today, Doug Whitley, President and CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, addressed a group of approximately 60 community and business leaders from St. Charles and Geneva at a breakfast meeting sponsored by the Legislative Committee. 

Whitley provided his opinions and insights on the current condition of Illinois government and the major challenges that face the state. He also provided attendees with: 

• an overview of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, how the organization operates, and the mission of the organization.
• advice on how to best communicate with legislators. Doug indicated that personal stories and information is most effective because it is unique. Legislators find this easier to remember when legislation is being debated and discussed. 

Doug said that the #1 priority for the Illinois Chamber is workers compensation reform. He said that since 2005, workers compensation costs in Illinois have increased by 15%, while other states have experienced a 19% decrease in costs. 

Doug also highlighted the work of the Illinois Chamber in developing a white paper called, Jobs Agenda – A Blueprint For Growth and Prosperity. 

The report proposes an agenda to reinvigorate Illinois as a business friendly state dedicated to growth, retention, and innovation. It recommends that Illinois confront the reality of the situation and take demonstrative steps to improve the economic fortunes of employers and citizens of Illinois. 

The report was developed after soliciting the expertise of local chambers, professional site selection personnel, economic development directors, tax experts, and business executives. The report proposes solutions to address the challenges of job creation. You can view a full copy of the report here. 

Attendees left the session better informed and inspired to work to improve the business climate, both locally and in Illinois.

On Friday, February 4th, the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce held its annual Charlemagne Awards Dinner at the St. Charles Country Club. Over 250 attendees were present from local businesses, non-profit agencies, and community organizations. 

The City of St. Charles received the Community Development Award for efforts to restore the marquee at the Arcada Theatre. The collaborative venture with the Downtown St. Charles Partnership and Onestic Entertainment resulted in the restoration of the marquee and the addition of digital signs to advertise shows at the Arcada, as well as other community events and information. You can get more information regarding this project here. 

The City of St. Charles also received the Civic Image Award for the Municipal Center Riverwall Project. The $4 million project was undertaken to rehabilitate and restore the wall between the Municipal Center and the Fox River to its original 1940s splendor. The project also addressed structural deficiencies and deterioration that had occurred through the years. You can click here to see a presentation regarding this project.  

John Collins, a local real estate broker, developer, and St. Charles area resident was the winner of the prestigious Charlemagne Award. John is a member of the Norris-Baker-Collins family that has been so generous to St. Charles over the years. The family’s contributions include the Baker Center, Norris Recreation Center, Norris Performing Arts Center, Baker Memorial Church, and the St. Charles Municipal Center. 

John is on the board for several local non-profit organizations including Delnor Hospital, Norris Recreation Center, and Tri-City Family Services. Congratulations, John!! 

Members of the Collins family join John for a photo at the Charlemagne Award Dinner.

For a list of all Chamber of Commerce award winners, please click here.

On Tuesday, the Metro West Council of Government hosted the 2011 Legislative Breakfast at Eagle Brook Country Club in Geneva. The event was attended by over 90 individuals from local government, private businesses, regional planning agencies, and utility companies. The featured guests were 7 state legislators from the Metro West area. They are:

• Senator Linda Holmes from Aurora
• Representative Linda Chapa LaVia from Aurora
• Representative Keith Farnham from Elgin
• Representative Mike Fortner from West Chicago
• Representative Kay Hatcher from Yorkville
• Representative Bob Pritchard from DeKalb
• Representative Tim Schmitz from Batavia

Metro West presented information regarding 3 important issues:

1. Protecting municipal revenue and ensuring that state-collected tax revenue is deposited directly into the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF) rather than being subject to the normal state payment process.
2. Reassessing the process by which commercial entities can use the Freedom of Information Act to obtain information from local governments.
3. Funding the state capital program and investing in infrastructure

Legislators were also given time to address the audience. Topics that received attention during this segment included dealing with the backlog in the state’s bills, continuing pension reform, workers compensation reform, and making wise use of the additional revenue generated by the increase in the state income tax.

St. Charles residents are represented by Representatives Randy Ramey (east of the river) and Tim Schmitz (west of the river). They are also represented by Senators John Millner (east of the river) and Chris Lauzen (west of the river). To contact these elected officials, please go here.