El Dorado Hills Chamber Public Policy Agenda

General guidelines for positions on policy issues that affect local business

From time to time, there are public policies that are considered and brought before voters.  It is the Chamber Board’s responsibility to research and take positions on those policies that could significantly affect a majority of members.  This may prove especially valuable to members who are managing a business and who do not have the time to conduct thorough research.

Given the great diversity of member opinions, the goal in taking positions cannot be to reflect the preferences and beliefs of every chamber member, or even every board member.  Therefore, the Board will seek to take positions on matters that would only affect business, and will always advocate the position that will have the greatest positive impact on the greatest number of Chamber members.

The Chamber’s Policy Agenda reflects positions in the following areas: 

Policy Objectives: Government agencies designated to protect the environment should provide reasonable regulations, including cost-effecting reporting requirements, to support a sustainable environment in balance with commerce.

  • Support: Reform to the federal, state, county and local environmental regulations that avoid unnecessary duplication of permits and enforcement.  
  • Support: Incentives that encourage clean-air driving and reduced emissions on a cost-effective basis.
  • Support: Equitable spread of costs of compliance to society as a whole, rather than placing the financial burden disproportionately on business and property ownership.  
  • Oppose: Policy decisions based on emotions or political agendas/opinions rather than based on scientific evidence.
  • Oppose: Regulatory requirements that are complex and ambiguous.

Policy Objectives: Government agencies designated to protect the environment should provide reasonable regulations, including cost-effecting reporting requirements, to support a sustainable environment in balance with commerce.

  • Support: Reform to the federal, state, county and local environmental regulations that avoid unnecessary duplication of permits and enforcement.  
  • Support: Incentives that encourage clean-air driving and reduced emissions on a cost-effective basis.
  • Support: Equitable spread of costs of compliance to society as a whole, rather than placing the financial burden disproportionately on business and property ownership.  
  • Oppose: Policy decisions based on emotions or political agendas/opinions rather than based on scientific evidence.
  • Oppose: Regulatory requirements that are complex and ambiguous.

Policy Objectives: Our community maintains a reasonable supply of housing to meet its internal growth needs, and provide a sufficient number of new housing to encourage new business to locate to our community. The ability for employees to have housing choice available to them near where they work has a positive affect on employee morale, productivity, and, by reducing commute lengths, reduces traffic and air pollution. Balanced land use decisions are the key to maintaining a positive business environment.

  • Support: Land use that provides adequate land for residential and non-residential land uses. Review existing inventories and adjust to economic changes that alter long term needs of a particular land use.
  • Support: Land use and plan areas that result in a fiscal benefit to the community as a whole.  
  • Support:  Ballot measures that provide full disclosure of the impacts on business and residents.
  • Oppose: Efforts to increase the cost of housing through the imposition of fees intended to meet unfunded mandates or new building standards.
  • Oppose: Unreasonable limits or undue burdens for entitlement approvals for development projects.
  • Oppose:  Ballot box planning.

Policy Objectives: To enhance and maintain a high quality education system to ensure an educated local workforce.

  • Support: The passage of fiscally responsible local and state bond measures, where necessary and appropriate.
  • Support: Curriculum that prepares students with the necessary skills to be successful and productive in the workplace.  
  • Support: The recruitment of higher education facilities to El Dorado Hills.

Policy Objectives: Government laws and regulation must carefully balance the needs of business and the economy with appropriate protections for workers to ensure a strong job base sufficient to sustain a community.  

Worker’s Compensation 

  • Support: The passage of laws that stem worker’s compensation system abuse and fraud and provide for appropriate protections for workers, while maintaining reasonable rates for employers and removing employer obligations for non-work related injuries.

Health Care

  • Support: Incentives and tax deductions for employer paid health care coverage and employee health care expenses.
  • Oppose: Government mandates on employers for health care coverage. 

Wage Mandates 

  • Oppose: Artificial wage mandates.

Policy Objectives: In order to maintain economic vitality and continue to stand as one of the most desirable communities in the region in which to reside, we must maintain and build on our infrastructure plan with major emphasis on transportation systems, reliable water and power resources, and advanced communications and technology.  To maintain a high quality of life, we must support a high quality system of parks, recreation, and cultural activities.  We must keep a forward-thinking, proactive approach to remain competitive in our ability to attract and maintain jobs that are essential to our economic well being. 

Transportation

  • Support: Local efforts to secure regional, state and federal funds that will improve traffic flow on surface streets, highways and freeways.
  • Oppose: Undue financial burden to local businesses and residents for alleviating traffic congestion in our area. 

Water

  • Support: Policy and legislation that insures an economical, reliable and sustainable supply of water to assure that our current and future businesses and residents will always have ample water supply in wet and dry years.

Power Resources

  • Support: Solutions for reliable, low-cost power resources for our businesses and residents including, but not limited to, alternative power sources and diversification from the grid.                       

Communication & Technology

  • Support: Policy and legislation that enables our technology providers to offer businesses and residents the most advanced communication and technology.

Parks, Recreation and Cultural Activities

  • Support:  Opportunities for state and local funding of park facilities.  If proposed funding may result in higher taxes or fees to business or individuals, a careful review of costs and benefits shall be assessed prior to taking a position.
  • Support:  The passage of fiscally responsible local and state bond measures where necessary and appropriate.
  • Support:  High quality arts and cultural activities to enhance and stimulate the quality of life for local residents.

Policy Objectives: Government agencies should review the complete cost associated with the adoption and implementation of regulations and justify to the public how the benefits brought will outweigh the costs associated.

  • Support: Regular reviews of government functions and funding mechanisms to ensure fiscal responsibility and efforts to cut wasteful spending, duplication or unnecessary programs or regulations.
  • Support: A balanced state budget that restores the fair and appropriate allocation of funds to local government and does not disproportionately tax California businesses.
  • Support: A balanced local government budget that fairly distributes the burden of local government finance without creating an artificially high cost of doing business in our community. 
  • Support: State government balancing the budget without incurring expenses to local jurisdictions. 
  • Support: Regulations that give California and our community a competitive advantage in attracting jobs.
  • Support: Government processes that eliminate cost and delays to business.  
  • Oppose: Unfunded government mandates.

Taxes and Fees

Policy Objectives: The Chamber generally opposes efforts to raise taxes and fees on businesses and individuals to pay for core government services that should otherwise be paid out of general funds, sales taxes, property taxes or gasoline taxes. Tax increases on the business community are generally opposed unless clear and specified benefit to the business community can be justified.

  • Support: Efforts on the federal, state and local levels that would simplify the current tax system and reduce the tax burden on businesses and individuals.
  • Support: Elimination of inequitable, hidden, or burdensome taxes and fees on businesses.
  • Oppose: Taxes and fees which are levied for purposes other than those directly linked to the provision of specific government services.

Cityhood/Incorporation

Policy Objectives: Cityhood is an important topic and if/when the time is right, should be considered.  Any consideration of cityhood should include a cost/benefit analysis to determine both the positive and negative impact on current and future business.

  • Support:  Partnerships with other individuals and entities seeking an accurate estimate of the costs and benefits of cityhood.
  • Oppose: Policy decisions based on emotions or political agendas/opinions rather than based on fact.