Recently, all five Baldwin County Chambers of Commerce, after polling their members for input, released a jointly-derived recommended 2021 legislative agenda. It is a comprehensive overview of Baldwin’s needs. If accomplished, businesses, employees and citizens of our county will be the beneficiaries. The agenda is “on point” and the benefits of achieving these goals will benefit all citizens, not just business owners. We urge our local legislative delegation and local elected officials to push to accomplish each item on the 2021 agenda.

Notably, the agenda leads off with two important infrastructure recommendations … improved broadband and improved roads and bridges. Both initiatives are vital to an improved business climate in Baldwin, from warehouse and distribution centers, tourism considerations and the ability to attract high tech clean new industry.

The second set of recommendations centers around workforce and education needs. These break down into three areas: training and education; affordable housing; and childcare options for working parents. Our economy cannot move forward without success in these areas. We need better technical training and more apprenticeships. Workers in hotels and restaurants should not be coming from Mobile and Pensacola, they should be Baldwin residents in affordable housing nearby the workplace. And our service industries will flourish with affordable childcare for workers.

The third set of recommendations are economic development initiatives. They support incentives and tax credits to attract more business. The chambers urge a continued all-out effort to secure a large-scale advanced manufacturing company at the South Alabama Megasite. The Megasite should be an ideal location for high tech or aerospace companies with two major interstate highways, an active port, a rail center and industrial airports all within 30 minutes or less travel time. Extension of the Beach Express to connect I-65 and I-10 would further the attractiveness of the Megasite for a major manufacturer as well as improve infrastructure for industry and tourism. North Baldwin will be transformed for the better with success in recruiting large industry to the Megasite. Finally the chamber advocates that our legislative delegation makes sure that GOMESA revenue generated by offshore oil drilling in Alabama waters remains where it came from, in South Alabama.

Baldwin County is large and diverse enough to support five separate chambers of commerce. They have come together in two ways in developing the 2021 legislative agenda. First , each conducted extensive polling of its members. Then the five came together, armed with member polling data, to develop a comprehensive agenda that, if achieved, will significantly benefit Baldwin citizens. We applaud the chambers’ work and urge our elected officials, especially the local legislative delegation, to advance and achieve every item on the agenda.