With the new year comes change, and businesses in Oregon can expect 2024 to be a big year. Policy discussions at the State Capitol and closer to home in City Council chambers will have implications for businesses in the coming year. The Oregon Legislature will meet...
On her first full day in office, Governor Tina Kotek signed Executive Order 23-04 which set a housing production goal of 36,000 homes per year and established the Housing Production Advisory Council, a council of experts charged with developing an action plan to meet...
As Bend continues to grow, so does the wear and tear on the City’s transportation system. Until now, the City has relied on the State Gas Tax and local property taxes to underwrite road maintenance. However, new revenue modeling has shown that those sources are...
Oregon has a housing crisis, and in Central Oregon, we know this all too well. Our community has seen a drastic increase in housing prices, double-digit rent increases and low inventory. Investments in housing were a focal point for legislators during the 2023...
Bend Chamber helps secure $25 million for Hawthorne Avenue Overcrossing.
Springtime is the season for budget setting, and as such the City of Bend is engaged in budget setting processes for the next cycle. The city runs a biennial budget and adjusts annually based on projected revenue and community expenses. Citizen engagement is key as a...
–The Legislature has hit the halfway mark and several important deadlines have come and gone. Notably, the April 4th deadline for bills to pass through their first Chamber committee of reference (or be referred to Rules or Revenue Committees). Roughly half of the...
Earlier this week, the Bend Urban Renewal Agency approved two business assistance programs to support Core Area business development. Read more about these programs and their impact on our community
This session the Chamber is tracking over 125 bills in a variety of issue areas from economic development and tax reform to childcare and housing issues. This week we’re focusing on the Corporate Activities Tax commonly known as the “CAT tax.”
The Chamber is tracking nearly over 75 bills in a variety of issue areas from economic development and tax reform to child care and housing issues. In short, there is a lot under discussion in Salem.
Ask any employer in town whether the labor shortage is affecting them, and they will likely answer yes.
Most will tell you that lack of workers has shortened operating hours, increased workload for others and decreased their revenue.
The Bend Chamber of Commerce spent 2021 ramping up our mainstay leadership, networking, advocacy and resource programs impacted in the first year of COVID. But we spent much of our energy working on longer-term issues that have taken a toll on employers and the workforce.
New poll released by Bend Chamber of Commerce reveals depth of concern in Bend over rising housing costs. Poll also shows that Bend residents support more multi-family housing, greater urban density, followed by expanding the urban growth boundary.
The annual legislative session in Salem was anything but ordinary this year, as lawmakers gathered for the 160 day long session lasting from January through mid June. From the start, the session was unique as the Capitol building was closed to the public and all...
The Bend Chamber has worked through advocacy and collaboration to find solutions for the lack of childcare, including supporting a new pilot program that will provide up to 100 new slots in Bend.
