From the Tallahassee Democrat
We’re glad the 2022 election is over and perhaps you are, too. After months of difficult campaigning, we now know who will be leading our community. That means it’s time for all of us to put away the talking points and start collaborating.
Throughout the election, issues like affordable housing, crime, and job creation dominated the conversation. Every candidate made promises to try and solve these problems. Now that voters have spoken, our community has an opportunity to come together and make changes that can positively impact everyone.
It won’t be easy. Nothing worth doing ever is. However, if we can set aside our differences and focus on our shared challenges, there’s no reason we can’t be successful in changing the trajectory of our community for the better.
The only way we can get there is to work together. The Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce is committed to doing just that. We want to work with all our elected officials to advance policies to both improve the quality of life for everyone and raise our economic prospects.
Fortunately, we have a tool to help our community measure progress. Our Community Scorecard is designed to track a wide variety of critical data points. From 3rd-grade reading scores to the number of jobs needed, the Scorecard makes it clear where we stand.
Right now, our community seems to be trending the right way, yet issues like generational poverty, violent crime, and homelessness remain frustratingly high. There is a pressing need for all of us to do our part in changing that. We believe the next couple of years in Tallahassee provide opportunities to reflect on where we are as a community and what future we’d like to create.
In 2023, our Chamber celebrates a 100-anniversary milestone. There is a lot to celebrate about the impact businesses have had in creating jobs and prosperity, but we still have work to do to share that prosperity with everyone.
Our commitment to this cause is strengthened by our relationships with the Big Bend Minority Chamber, Capital City Chamber, Network of Entrepreneurs and Business Advocates, and the Office of Economic Vitality. There are still more relationships to build.
Fast forward to 2024, the City of Tallahassee and Leon County will celebrate their bicentennials. There’s never been a better time to commemorate accomplishments, acknowledge challenges, and set forth in search of an ambitious future. Our Chamber wants to be part of that work too. We are committed to working with interest groups that represent neighborhoods, workers, and the environment all while being more deliberate in how we interface with those who have a different perspective than our own.
Our Chamber will continue to be a part of the problem-solving process and we eagerly await the opportunity to collaborate with anyone who has a desire to make real change.
No matter where you stood in the election, we want to work with you to make our future bright. Let’s come together and make the progress we need happen.
