Fears and public safety concerns about tax increases are at the top of the agenda for business leaders across the city from downtown to the neighborhoods.
Jack Lavin, president and CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, which endorsed Paul Vallas for mayor, said public safety is the No. 1 priority. .”
“We need to address public safety issues, and we need to hold the line on taxes,” said Lavin, who expressed concerns over Brandon Johnson’s proposals to raise taxes to pay for the programs. social and his views on police reform.
“The bottom line is when you defund the police and you’re raising almost a billion dollars in taxes, that’s not good for jobs and families,” Lavin said. “Especially coming out of historic inflation, supply-chain shortages, talent shortages and the ongoing impact of the pandemic.”
Lavin said that before the next mayor looks at raising taxes, he needs to look at the city’s $28 billion budget and “reprioritize” to address certain issues. Lavin believes the city should and can fund a “robust youth and summer jobs program,” which would help address youth crime and safety issues. no tax increase.
“We have to deal with the safety of the CTA and get people back in the office,” Lavin said. “We have to do community police. These are the things we need to do immediately. I don’t think it needs new taxes. We are raising property taxes. It affects small businesses, and it affects middle class families. “
One issue that business leaders across the city seem to agree on is the desire to see less red tape at City Hall.
Elliot Richardson, president of the Small Business Advocacy Council (SBAC), said it was a big issue for the entrepreneurs his organization worked with.
“Right now, we’re working to resolve a lot of the city’s red tape issues — zoning and things like that — to try to rebuild neighborhood business districts and help small businesses.”
SBAC is also pushing for small businesses and neighborhood chambers of commerce to have a seat at the table when new policies and ordinances are developed to “reduce red tape and free up business people throughout the city and beyond.” community without investment,” Richardson said.
The organization also seeks to address the issue of vacant commercial properties that can blight communities and discourage new investment.
“There are many places throughout the city, regardless of the community that are blocked by commercial vacancies,” Richardson said.
He said what he often hears from small business owners is that “doing business in the city of Chicago should be affordable” and that the city’s resources should be allocated fairly.
“A lot of money goes into big projects,” Richardson said. “What money will also go toward revitalizing neighborhood business districts?”
Felicia Slaton-Young, executive director of the Greater Englewood Chamber of Commerce, also puts public safety at the top of her concerns. But he also wants to see the next mayor prioritize the concerns of small business owners in historically marginalized communities starved of investment.
“Small and medium-sized businesses are still trying to figure out how to do business in this post-COVID economy, including how to engage and retain employees,” he said. Slaton-Young. “That’s an issue regardless of business and regardless of industry.”
Red tape and bureaucracy are also a concern.
“There are a lot of policies at the city level that make doing business in Chicago illegal,” Slaton-Young said.
For example, Slaton-Young said business owners trying to get city fee reductions or permits are required to hire legal representation and cannot attend hearings.
“Many small business owners don’t have legal representation and the cost of doing so is prohibitive, especially in this post-COVID economy,” Slaton-Young said.
Besides worrying about vacant properties blighting the neighborhood, Slaton-Young said starting new businesses in Englewood can be challenging because of the lack of commercial properties.
“Access to move-in-ready commercial space is almost non-existent here,” Slaton-Young said. “Business owners have to find space in other communities. And that’s the income, the opportunity, the jobs that are going to leave this community and go somewhere else like the South Shore or Beverly or any of the places in between.
The possibility of a tax increase if Johnson prevails Tuesday is a concern for all business owners, but for Slaton-Young it ultimately comes down to how tax dollars are collected and spent.
“I think we’re all a little hesitant when someone talks about raising taxes,” Slaton-Young said. “We know that the way tax policy is implemented is not always fair. When small business owners in Englewood pay more on the tax rolls, as well as community members pay more than tax rolls than those in the Loop, then there is a problem.
Nilda Esparza, executive director of the Logan Square Chamber of Commerce, also raised the issue of safety as a concern for business owners in her neighborhood.
“We want corridors where people feel safe going to shop,” Esparza said.
But he’s not convinced by Vallas’ plans to put more police on the beat by hiring back retired cops and is looking for a mayor who can “concentrate on the real root of the problem.”
“When you say you’re going to put more officers on the streets, what does recruiting look like?” Esparza asked. “Are people applying for these jobs? Is it realistic that you can get people out of retirement and back into the force when things are so dangerous right now? I don’t know how realistic that is.”
Esparza said she is concerned about Johnson’s tax hike proposals, but also wants to see big businesses pay the taxes they owe.
“Tax increases are alarming on many different levels,” Esparza said. “But the big entities must have a commitment to the community, and they must pay their fair share. … “When you see the disinvestment and we know that social services are not funded, you must tan -look at someone like Brandon (Johnson) and say that he’s the one who’s going to be the one to solve the problem.
The bottom line for Lavin is that the next mayor needs to foster an environment where businesses throughout the city can thrive.
“It was a close race,” Lavin said. “Whoever wins, they have to work with the business community because the bottom line is businesses that create jobs. And without jobs, you can’t meet families with homes, educating the our children and public service. If you don’t have a job, you can’t do everything.”
