Chamber Chowder

On behalf of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce I wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.

The Chamber membership is strong, active and growing. Chamber members are located in the City and the surrounding localities and all of them benefit from a healthy and prosperous City of Falls Church. Our sponsors have been generous in their support allowing us the resources to not only serve the business community; but also, to have the ability to study and react to issues. The Prespectives on Development in Falls Church, commissioned by the Chamber and authored by George Mason University Professor John McClain, stands as a shining example of what a committed Chamber of Commerce can do for its community. The Chamber’s legislative committee under the leadership of Paul Barkley has created development criteria by which the Chamber can evaluate proposed projects, and if proposed projects are found to be of benefit, the Chamber will advocate for their acceptance by the City.

2004 will be a year of economic challenges for Falls Church. The tax ramifications of the 25 million dollar school bond along with the added operational costs is just one of the factors effecting the Falls Church budget. You must also consider the impact of federal and state mandates which cost lots of money without the promised state and federal aid that should be there to help pay for these projects when you contemplate the difficulty the City manager, staff and elected officials will have in developing a budget over the next few years. These financial realities are not in the future but now. For Falls Church to continue to thrive, there must be substantial economic development.

The Chamber is poised to be a strong partner in solving the financial needs of the City. A growing and prosperous business community is the best source for non-residential tax income for the City.

The business community understands that the realities of today’s Northern Virginia requires the acceptance of mixed-use, primarily residential projects as the best source of new customers for our businesses. These projects deliver positive tax revenues from the improved value of the real estate, from increased sales and meals taxes, gross receipt taxes, and additional personal property taxes. They also increase our citizen base, which adds more diversity to our City.

These projects provide attractive buildings with the types of businesses now lacking in Falls Church and new homes for our existing businesses that need to expand. Who among us wouldn’t like to walk to dinner then have the opportunity to attend a live concert, play or a movie? As we face the future, expect the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce to be a loud voice in support of a thriving sustainable City that remains a special place to live and work.