Chamber Advocacy

Information on the Chamber's positions regarding the latest issues facing Calvert County.

                (FEBRUARY 2009)
Calvert County Liquor Board
175 Main Street
Prince Frederick, MD  20678

The Calvert County Liquor Control Board is proposing changes to Sections 5-201 and 6-201 dealing with Class B licensing and "fast food style" restaurants.

The Calvert County Chamber of Commerce does not support Amendment section 5-201 and 6-201.  It is our understanding that the proposed changes are being made to deter certain types of establishments from serving alcoholic beverages, possibly in an attempt to regulate and control the serving of alcoholic beverages via take away counter service which may be passed to under age drinkers, or other such persons with no valid identification to verify their age.

The concern is that the amendments as proposed do not necessarily accomplish what we believe the intent behind them to be.  The requirement that a new restaurant facility have regular seating capacity for 35 or more persons and a capital investment of at least $200k would not hinder some of the larger fast food type establishments in Calvert County, for example McDonald's or Arby's, from obtaining a license, thus defeating the intent of the amendments.

Of more concern to us, as written the proposed amendments could have a very negative impact on the establishment of new restaurant type commerce and business in Calvert County.  Based on the size of some of the current small restaurants that exist in Calvert County, we believe these proposed changes could very likely have a negative impact on the establishment of new smaller restaurants that may want to serve alcoholic beverages.  An example would be Bilvile Beach Cafe (fine dining) in North Beach, which serves alcohol and has very limited seating capacity.

An owner or investor who is considering opening a smaller restaurant in Calvert County, such as Bilvile, may not be able to meet the requirement of a regular seating capacity for 35 or more persons and a capital investment of at least $200k and therefore would be unable to obtain the required license to serve alcoholic beverages at their establishment.

While we support the initiative to solve the problem of fast food and counter-type establishments, we urge the Liquor Board to come up with a more definitive set of criteria instead of the broad ones proposed which could have unintended consequences.

The Calvert County Chamber of Commerce does support the following amendments:
Amendment Section 10-301 (n)License Renewal Late Penalty
Amendment Section 12-108 Sale to Underage
Amendment Sections 3-401; 5-101, 5-201, 6-101, 6-201 and 6-401
Amendment 15-109 (f) Salaries

The Chamber supports the following new subsection:
New subsection 8-413, Beer, Wine and Spirits Tastings

William Chambers
Chairman of the Board
Calvert County Chamber of Commerce

                    (FEBRUARY 2009)
The Hon. Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr.
President of the Senate
H-107 State House
Annapolis, MD  21401

Dear Senator Miller:

Thank you very much for attending the Calvert Chamber's Legislative Breakfast on Monday, January 12, 2009.

With so much concern and uncertainty on the fiscal issues facing the State, we request a meeting between the Calvert Delegation to Annapolis and the Board of the Calvert Chamber halfway through this legislative session.  By then, the proposals for closing the budget gap can be discussed.  Such a meeting will foster clear understanding of these proposals which will lead to better consensus building on the crucial votes on this year's budget.

William Chambers
Chairman of the Board
Calvert County Chamber of Commerce

 

                          (MARCH 8, 2007 - HB 1053)
March 8, 2007

The Honorable Tom Hucker
House Office Building
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD  21401-1991

Dear Delegate Hucker:

I am writing on behalf of the Board of Directors and the members of the Calvert County Chamber of Commerce in opposition of HB 1053.

We believe that increasing the annual fee to $1,0000 is out of line with similar fees in surrounding states.  Additionally, we believe that the income tax portion of the bill is unfair.  Small businesses that do not have enough activity in Maryland to generate at least a $500 income tax would be denied the credit and therefore would be paying a larger annual fee than business with larger operations in Maryland.

The Chamber also believes that no extensive change in Maryland tax policy should occur without a review of Maryland's entire tax structure.

Sincerely,

Darren Maertens
Chairman, Board of Directors



                             (March 8, 2007 - HB 448)
March 8, 2007

The Honorable James W. Gilchrist
House Office Building
6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD  21401-1991

Dear Delegate Gilchrist:

I am writing on behalf of the Board of Directors and the members of the Calvert County Chamber of Commerce in opposition of HB 448.

In a recent updated report titled The Best and Worst States for Taxes, author Scott McCredie, using information and statistics gathered from the Tax Foundation, Tax Policy Center, American Petroleum Institute, American Lung Association, rated Maryland in regard to the tax burden it imposes on its residents.  The report factored in Maryland state taxes on gasoline, cigarettes and retail sales, as well as all federal taxes.  The report rated Maryland an appalling 13, with the worst being "1" and the best being "50."

Not only does this proposed tax add additional tax burdens on our residents, it negatively impacts Maryland's tax climate by making us less competitive with our surrounding states.  Many of the listed services are businesses that are multi-state providers, which means they will now be taxing clients who can choose to do business elsewhere...where the cost of doing business is less.  For those businesses that are small businesses it will create compliance difficulties, potential legal issues that will be complex and costly to administer.

The Chamber also believes that no extensive change in Maryland tax policy should occur without a review of Maryland's entire tax structure.

Sincerely,

Darren Maertens
Chairman, Board of Directors

October 2005
(written by Chamber Chairman, Lloyd Harrison)

Early last month, Reuters news service reported that only 14% of California households could afford the median-priced home in that state.   Reuters?s analysis used the August 2005 median home price in California, $568,890, to calculate the minimum household income needed to buy the house. (A quick definition: ?Median? price means that half the houses cost more and half the houses cost less ? it?s not the same as ?average.?) At any rate, to afford the median-priced home, a Californian needs to earn $133,800.  That?s a lot of money, and only 14% of California households earn at least that much!

Here is another element of this calculation: it assumes that the buyer puts down 20%, or nearly $113,000. Wow! Now we are talking about some serious money.  But that?s out in California, the Left Coast, the land of Tom Cruise. We live here on the Right Coast in beautiful Calvert County and things aren?t quite the same as out West.

In Calvert, the median home price is $343,750 as of July data. So I plugged this number into my high-tech banker calculator.  The buyer of Calvert?s median-priced home needs to come up with a down payment of $68,750 ? that?s not as bad as California, but its not chump change either.  Then you take out a loan for $275,000.  By the way, you need to have a household income of at least $81,300 to qualify for this loan.  The median household income in Calvert is $79,600.  At first glance, we seem to be close to equilibrium. But we are at a tipping point: we will either go the way of California or we will choose a different destiny.

Between July 2004 and July 2005, the median home price in Calvert increased by 24%.  During the same period, median household income increased by only 5.7%.  That?s been the trend in recent years.  Housing costs have skyrocketed; incomes have not and cannot keep pace.  It won?t be too long before the vast majority of our citizens are priced out of the market, just like the majority of Californians.  For several years, we have been talking about the effect of home prices in Calvert on our teachers and our law enforcement officials.  In the past month, I have had conversations with employers on the same topic.  Only this time we were talking about real examples of the effect on doctors and nuclear engineers.

So we are at a tipping point.  Public policy will play the crucial role in determining our fate. As you know, the zoning ordinance, a critical part of public policy, is being rewritten. Your Chamber of Commerce has actively participated in each stage along the way. Not only have we advocated for business-friendly rules and regulations, but we have repeatedly pointed out the need to address workforce housing.  The time has come for not only the business community, but for the electorate as a whole to make our voices heard.

The final result will influence the cost of housing for years to come. 

FAIR SHARE HEALTH CARE FUND ACT

September 5, 2005

The Honorable Thomas V. Mile Miller, Jr.

President of the Senate

H107 State House

Annapolis,MD 21401

Dear Senator Miller:

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Calvert County Chamber Of Commerce I am writing to encourage you to support Governor Ehrlich?s veto of House Bill 1284, the Fair Share Health Care Fund Act.

According to Dun and Bradstreet, Calvert County has 3,157 businesses, none of which would be affected at this time by House Bill 1284.   The concern for these businesses, however, is that the Bill could be just the beginning for mandating that all employers provide health care benefits.  

There are millions of uninsured Americans and the escalating costs of health insurance make it very difficult for employers to contain costs of providing benefits for employees.    The Calvert Chamber feels that a more appropriate approach for the State would be to address the broader issue of increasing health care costs, to identify ways to help small employers provide health insurance, and enact reforms for the small group health insurance to reduce costs.

You can help your Calvert constituents by supporting Governor Ehrlich?s veto of House Bill 1284.  

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Carolyn McHugh

President/CEO