The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce represents the interests of 600+ businesses employing some 10,000 employees in the Dulles Business Corridor which is home to the second largest concentration of technology companies outside of Silicon Valley in California. Members of the Chamber represent the full spectrum of local, regional, national and international businesses from all industry segments and in all stages of growth. The goal of this Public Policy Position is to provide a unified voice on issues that are most important to Chamber members. A committee comprised of Chamber members meets monthly to review issues of importance to our constituency and updates this policy statement at least annually. All Public Policy Position statements are approved by the Chamber Board of Directors prior to publication.
I. GENERAL BUSINESS ISSUES
Dillon Rule
GRCC supports maintaining the integrity of Virginia’s Dillon Rule.
Right to Work
GRCC supports the right to employment without the requirement that employees join or support a labor union. Specifically, the Chamber opposes the “Employee Free Choice Act,” which proposes to eliminate the secret ballot currently required to conduct an organizing vote. The Chamber also supports current “right to work” statutes and opposes any effort to repeal or modify those statutes.
Project Labor Agreements
GRCC opposes project labor agreements (PLAs) mandated by local, state and federal governments, and other entities on taxpayer-funded construction projects. Government-mandated PLAs end open, fair and competitive bidding on public works projects by discouraging competition from qualified nonunion contractors and their nonunion employees. These agreements unfairly steer contracts to unionized contractors, the majority of whom are out-of-state employers and create jobs only for unionized employees. Added costs attributed to reduced competition could be even greater in Virginia, where just 3.9 percent of the construction industry is unionized .
Workers’ Compensation
GRCC supports maintaining a regulatory and legislative climate conducive to the continuation of affordable and available workers’ compensation coverage for businesses. The Chamber further supports current laws for the compensation of employees for injuries incurred on the job and supports the current definition of a work-related injury and focuses on returning the worker to gainful employment.
Equal Opportunity
The GRCC is committed to equal employment opportunity in all employment practices including hiring, training, compensation, benefits, promotion, transfer, termination, and reduction in force, for all individuals without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age disability, or veteran status. The Chamber encourages employers to take positive steps to ensure that their work forces make full utilization of the human resources available to them. The Chamber, therefore, supports legislative efforts, which assist employers to adhere to these principles and opposes efforts which place intolerable administrative burdens on employers and which encourage litigation.
Unemployment Insurance
The GRCC supports Virginia's unemployment compensation law, the primary purpose of which is to provide adequate and temporary financial assistance to employees who become unemployed through no fault of their own. The Chamber opposes efforts to extend benefits to workers who through their own actions or inactions become unemployed as a result of an employer initiated lockout or an employee strike.
Privatization and Insourcing
GRCC supports use of both public and private sector resources to meet key government needs. The Chamber further contends that, when possible, the public sector should look to using private sector resources, especially in those areas where the private sector provides a clear advantage in costs and expertise. Further, GRCC urges caution in the current Federal government policy of “insourcing” private sector resources into government, as such employment transfers can have substantial economic impacts on the regional economy and result in reduced tax collections as government employment replaces private employment.
Civil Justice
GRCC firmly supports maintaining Virginia's common sense legal system, which has enabled the Commonwealth to achieve its best-in-class economic environment. The Chamber also firmly opposes measures that would increase the burden of excessive litigation and diminish Virginia’s competitive position.
GRCC specifically supports responsible use of eminent domain authority in instances when the rights of property owners are fairly balanced with the rights of entities with existing eminent domain authority; however, the Chamber opposes efforts to amend the Virginia Constitution with regard to the issue of eminent domain or definition of public use, given these issues are clearly addressed and defined in the Virginia statute.
II. TAXATION AND BUDGET
GRCC supports the creation of a finance system for local and state government that properly aligns revenue sources with expenditure requirements. To achieve this objective, GRCC supports the following:
• Using unbudgeted and nonrecurring surplus tax revenues to fund nonrecurring capital expenditures in the areas of transportation and education or to supplement the Commonwealth’s rainy day fund, rather than for new or recurring programmatic expenses;
• Consideration of tax simplification strategies at the state and local level;
• Revenue sharing with localities to ensure that local governments can share in the growth of revenues created by increased economic activity;
• Providing counties with the same taxing authority as cities and towns;
• Continued exemption of internet sales from state and local sales tax until a uniform structure of taxation of such transactions is adopted nationally;
• Re-enactment by the General Assembly of taxes authorized in 2007 to fund transportation projects in Northern Virginia; and
• Maintaining Virginia’s tradition of uniform taxation of residential and commercial property for General Fund matters;
The Chamber opposes any amendment to the Virginia Constitution permitting the creation of a homestead exemption or similar tax policy that would result in higher commercial real estate taxes through creation of a new class of real property that may be exempted from local taxation.
The GRCC opposes the imposition of unfunded mandates or policy positions, particularly those that would require Virginia’s businesses and other taxpayers to fund the long-term costs of these mandates.
III. TRANSPORTATION
GRCC recognizes that the Commonwealth is significantly short of funds needed to implement the 2030 Transportation Plan and is consistently in danger of not being able to provide appropriate match to use federal funding. GRCC supports efforts to secure, sustainable additional state funding for state-wide construction and maintenance needs. GRCC supports passage by the General Assembly of legislation that provides significant, dedicated and reliable funding for regional transportation improvements and maintenance in Northern Virginia. The mixture of revenue sources to be considered should include taxes, fees and general fund dollars, all of which will be needed to keep Virginia’s economy and citizens moving.
The Chamber also supports development of a performance-based statewide transportation plan focused on existing and new corridors of statewide and regional significance to better direct multi-modal transportation allocations.
Funding:
In addition to state funding, GRCC supports the use of creative transportation financing mechanisms, including new tolls on roads currently not tolled, public/private partnerships, the use of debt financing, provided that it does not threaten Virginia’s AAA bond rating, and use of High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes. GRCC supports revisions to the transportation funding formulas so that they better address the needs of heavily congested regions in the Commonwealth, such as Northern Virginia. GRCC also supports legislation that would prohibit borrowing from the Transportation Trust Fund. As Congress looks to reauthorize the six-year surface transportation act, GRCC supports efforts to secure federal funding for transit and highway programs in the national capital area to improve mobility in light of increased security concerns. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) and the Commonwealth of Virginia should actively seek federal, state, local and other revenue sources for Phase II of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project to minimize impact on drivers of the Dulles Toll Road.
Dulles Toll Road Improvements and Coordination
The GRCC contends that, following the transfer of operational authority for the Dulles Toll Road to the MWAA and the importance of tolls in the funding of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, enhanced oversight, transparency and accountability for the expenditure of Toll Road revenues is vital to ensure the impacts of MWAA decisions on Reston’s businesses are properly considered.
Transportation Projects
With regard to specific projects and initiatives in Northern Virginia, GRCC supports:
• Expedited construction of Metrorail through Tyson’s Corner to Washington Dulles International Airport and Loudoun County;
• Approval and construction of another Potomac River crossing;
• Further study of the new Bi-County/Tri-County Corridor of Statewide Significance to determine the correct multi-modal improvements to enhance south-north access to Washington Dulles International Airport Expansion of I-66 inside the Beltway, with an emphasis on adding a third lane to and completing the extention of the third lanebetweenBallston and the Dulles Connector Road;
• Completion of the conversion of Route 28 into an 8-lane limited access freeway between I-66 and Route 7;
• Completion of the I-95/395 HOT Lanes linking Prince William County and Arlington County;
• Completion of the Loudoun County, Bi-County and Tri-County Parkways on the master plan alignments;
• Upgrading the Route 606 western loop around Dulles Airport;
• Enhancements to the regional bus transit system serving the region’s most congested corridors;
• Innovative business solutions that encourage telework and other cutting-edge virtual workplace initiatives, as well as government incentives to encourage greater use of telework and other transportation demand management measures;
• Increasing the efficiency of the existing transportation system through expanded use of technology;
• Consideration of equitable ways to raise revenue that are dedicated to transportation priorities in the localities where the revenues are raised, including an increase in the gas tax;
• Increased use of special tax districts throughout the Commonwealth to help fund transportation projects;
• Reevaluation of existing and new on/off access ramps on the Dulles Toll Road (DTR) to provide improved access to future Metrorail stations; and
• Undertake a study of the feasibility of providing additional tolls at the westbound Route 7 ramp on the DTR and the Route 123 ramps along the Dulles Connector Road as potential additional funding sources for Dulles Metrorail.
With respect to local projects in the Reston area, the Chamber supports the inclusion of the following items in the Fairfax County Transportation Plan to allow for future funding:
Immediate Improvements For Congestion Relief (following not listed in priority order):
• Development of a plan and budget to implement the roadway, transit, pedestrian and bicycle improvements recommended in the Reston Metrorail Station Access Study to enhance ridership and reduce congestion.
• Also to support efforts to take advantage of adding Metrorail to Reston, allow greater local flexibility in road standards that allow true mixed use urban design in land use planning.
• Enhancement of the Fairfax Connector and Reston Internal Bus system transit systems to provide convenient and frequent access to the rail transit stations serving Reston;
• Expedited widening of Route 7 from Rolling Holly Road to Reston Avenue;
• Realignment of Sunset Hills Road to meet Crowell Road;
• Widen Reston Parkway to six lanes between the Toll Road and Lawyers Road;
• Construction of improvements at the intersection of Reston Parkway and Sunrise Valley Drive; and
• Expand the Hunter Mill and Springvale Road bridges.
• GRCC supports consideration of private streets in conjunction with redevelopment at the Metrorail transit station areas to provide greater flexibility in their design and use;
• GRCC supports a parking study that would examine parking requirements, parking pricing, and joint development and shared parking opportunities resulting from the coming of rail and the related transit-oriented development.
Future Capacity Improvements (not listed in priority order):
• Widen Leesburg Pike (Route 7) to six lanes from Rolling Holly Drive to Tyco Road to include a grade-separated interchange at Route 7 and Baron Cameron Avenue;
• Reconstruct Wiehle Avenue between Sunset Hills Road and Baron Cameron Avenue to modify grades and turning radii to increase driver safety;
• Widen Sunset Hills Road between Reston Parkway and Wiehle Avenue into a six-lane divided road with limited turn movements;
• Construction of a diamond or cloverleaf interchange at Fairfax County Parkway and Sunset Hills Road;
• Construction of new roadways across the Dulles International Airport Access Highway between Soapstone Drive and Isaac Newton Square West to enhance access to the Wiehle Avenue Metrorail Station and between Town Center Parkway and Edmund Halley Drive to enhance access to the Reston Parkway Metrorail Station;
• Construction of a grade-separated interchange at Sunrise Valley Drive and the Fairfax County Parkway; and
GRCC supports efforts to conserve and make more efficient use of fuel, as well as those that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These include incentives to increase vehicle mileage and the use of alternative fuels, as well as providing more mode choices for commute and non-commute trips.
IV. ENERGY
GRCC supports a reliable and affordable energy supply that keeps pace with Northern Virginia’s growing population and economy. The Chamber encourages the development of new electricity generation and transmission infrastructure. Renewable energy, as well as increased energy conservation and efficiency, also should be included in the Commonwealth’s energy portfolio. The Chamber supports market-based incentives and sustainable initiatives that can reduce energy use while contributing to the Commonwealth’s environmental goals. Such initiatives include alternative energy, green buildings and transit oriented development. Statewide policies can serve as cost-effective incentives for their implementation.
V. WORKFORCE / AFFORDABLE HOUSING
GRCC recognizes that housing policy is an essential factor in economic development and supports the following initiatives to address the workforce needs in Northern Virginia:
• Adopt a statewide Housing Trust Fund and other recommendations of Governor McDonnell’s Housing Policy task force to increase the availability of housing options to meet the needs of a growing regional workforce;
• Maintain the Fairfax County Bridging Affordability Fund as a stable, flexible source of local funds for the preservation and development of workforce/affordable housing; and
• Federal, state and local incentives, such as tax credit programs, to maximize the production of affordable and workforce housing in high-density development and/or transit centers.
VI. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
GRCC supports continued focus on maintaining and improving the region’s quality of life and overall economic climate through strategic economic development efforts. To meet this goal, GRCC recommends:
• Full funding for the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) and its efforts to serve the existing business community, attract new businesses and generate new jobs in the Dulles Business Corridor;
• Promotion of arts, tourism and cultural opportunities, including support for the Chamber’s Business and Visitor’s Center;
• Funding support for the Chamber’s INC.spire Education Foundation with itsIncubator, Student Entreprenuarial and Business Education Series Programs as a source of job creation and tax revenue from home-grown businesses;
• Increased use of public-private economic development partnerships to facilitate and encourage economic revitalization or redevelopment in older commercial and residential areas of Fairfax County, such as joint development opportunities on public lands;
• Consideration by the Commonwealth of the full economic impact of a business’ and/or industry’s presence in Virginia prior to creating or removing any business tax exemption; and
• GRCC supports amending Fairfax County ordinances to remove the current requirement for hotels to provide lifeguards for guest swimming pools. Failing that, the Chamber supports modifications to enabling legislation to restrict the County’s authority to require such accommodations
The Chamber also encourages the continued full funding of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) incentive and retention programs, coupled with significant increases to the Governor’s Opportunity Fund (GOF) and the broadening of the eligibility requirements under both programs based on a firm’s contributions to increased local tax revenues. GRCC also supports a greater emphasis and eligibility from both funds being directed toward Northern Virginia based companies.
The Chamber opposes arbitrary efforts to limit or suspend economic growth and opposes excessive and inconsistent restrictions placed on new business development or expansion that do not contribute materially to improving the quality of the business environment in Virginia.
VII. EDUCATION
Elementary and Secondary Education
GRCC supports:
• Increased state funding to meet Fairfax County’s growing education needs;
• Revisions to the state’s local composite index formula to recognize the growing burden on localities to fund education needs associated with changing demographics, such as those associated with ESL students and students with disabilities;
• Efforts to expand pre-school and school readiness programs in Virginia.
• Greater coordination between K-12 curriculum and higher education to reduce the need for remediation courses at Virginia’s colleges and universities.
• Continued use of local government bonding capacity and public-private partnerships to build and renovate schools, including establishment of federal tax credits to promote private sector investments in education infrastructure;
• Increased efficiency and prioritization within the Fairfax County Public Schools budget, including conducting an independent audit of the system to identify programs that may be merged, expanded and/or eliminated;
• Continued commitment to offering competitive compensation to attract and retain teachers; and
• Increased federal funding to meet the requirements of the federal mandates.
In addition, GRCC opposes independent taxing authority for elected local school boards.
Higher Education
GRCC supports:
• Bond and General Fund initiatives that finance critically needed capital infrastructure at Northern Virginia Community College and George Mason University by taking advantage of historically low construction costs;
• Maintenance of authority granted to the boards of visitors at Virginia’s colleges and universities to set appropriate tuition and fees for individual institutions;
• Securing sustainable and predictable per-student state funding that supports Virginia’s colleges and universities and their ability to serve the Commonwealth student population.
GRCC supported adoption of the Top Jobs for the 21st Century (Top Jobs 21) legislation proposed by the Governor and adopted by the General Assembly. As our education and political leadership moves towards implementation, GRCC asks decision-makers to place priority on funding and implementing these elements:
• Incentives for public institutions to graduate Virginia residents with STEM and healthcare degrees and certificates
• Providing incentives for public and private non-profit institutions to advance research partnerships that discover the products and services that will be the foundation for future jobs in the Commonwealth
• Funding the Tuition Assistance Grant program at a level that allows Virginia’s private, non-profit institutions to be contributors in meeting the 100,000 goal of STEM and healthcare graduates.
VIII. TECHNOLOGY
GRCC supports measures that will enhance Virginia’s position as a leader in global technology as well as maintaining its competitiveness and status as a great state in which to do business.
With regard to technology infrastructure, GRCC supports:
• A strong Secretary of Technology with budgetary authority and direct oversight of technology policy, operation and infrastructure in the state;
• Sustained investments in technology research to foster innovation, build knowledge capital, and increase long-term commercialization potential;
• Measures to promote the formation of new technology and IP-based companies in the state in order to diversify the technology industry and generate economic growth;
• Incentives to encourage the relocation of existing technology companies to Virginia, i.e., increase funding for the Governor’s Opportunity Fund, tax credits for business facilities, etc.);
• Investments in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education at all levels from grade school through higher education programs; and
• Continued support for the Center for Innovative Technology’s efforts to encourage economic development and commercialization of technology.
GRCC also supports policies and measures that help to safeguard businesses and consumers from external technology assaults and/or hacking, that can lead to the disruption and loss of technology access and information.
IX. LAND USE
GRCC supports:
• Retention of the Reston Master Plan as the principal tool for guiding development and redevelopment in Reston, as well as the PRC District regulations that govern much of Reston’s development;
• Adoption of amendments to the Reston Master Plan and the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan to facilitate high density, economically-viable redevelopment adjacent to the planned metro transit stations along the Dulles Corridor, with a goal of achieving a mix of employment options and both market-rate and workforce/affordable housing that is easily accessible and pedestrian-friendly;
• Incorporation of the Reston Metrorail Access Group’s recommendations for transit station access into Fairfax County’s Comprehensive Plan;
• Use of air rights and joint development opportunities at planned rail transit stations, including incorporation of design measures at station platforms to allow stations to be retrofitted with such development in the future;
• Continued use of negotiated proffers, in lieu of standardized impact fees or similar charges, as part of rezoning applications to ensure that local community priorities and impacts are appropriately addressed;
• Adoption of policies and procedures that recognize the unique qualities of urban mixed use employment centers in Fairfax County; and
• Retention of the Fairfax County tax abatement program for the rehabilitation of and reinvestment in older properties.
X. IMMIGRATION
Immigrants have played an increasingly important role in the prosperity and growth of Northern Virginia, filling key jobs in every sector of our economy and contributing to the rich cultural and intellectual experience that characterizes our region. The GRCC recognizes that the importance of immigrants to the economy must be balanced by border security concerns and, therefore, supports comprehensive Federal immigration reform that will:
• Ensure an adequate supply of workers to support businesses in this region, including a limited guest worker program to fill gaps in our workforce;
• Continue and expand visas for professionals and highly skilled workers, and programs that support seasonal industries and small businesses;
• Require undocumented workers already contributing to the economy to meet specific conditions and obligations in order to earn the legal right to remain in the US;
• Simplify requirements and processes for worker verification and ask congress to establish a national verification system;
• Urge Congress and the administration to address delays, backlogs, and disruptions in our immigration and border management systems that impede the movement of legitimate cargo and travelers across US borders; and
• Apply a commonsense uniform approach to support enforcement of existing Federal immigration laws.
The Chamber, however, opposes increased penalties on employers who unknowingly hire undocumented aliens until a consistent, reliable process for worker verification system is established. The Chamber advocates that any such worker verification system not unduly burden employers, be properly funded, and have a high data integrity confidence factor.
XI. ENVIRONMENT
GRCC believes that environmental protection should begin with educational efforts aimed at encouraging environmental stewardship by all citizens and organizations. GRCC opposes implementing unnecessarily burdensome or costly regulations offering only marginal benefits to the environment. GRCC encourages the voluntary efforts of businesses, organizations and individuals to positively impact the environment.
GRCC supports:
• Innovative approaches focused on achieving sustainable environmental improvements while maintaining a healthy economic climate;
• The concept that state regulations adopted to implement federally mandated programs should not be more stringent than federal requirements;
• The County’s Environmental Improvement Program (EIP) vigorous application of its existing regulatory reform policies and procedures before adopting any new environmental regulations;
• Continued efforts to comply with existing federal and state air and water quality standards using improved technology and cost-effective measures that meet the unique needs of localities while offering substantial results;
• Specific educational programs and voluntary efforts that promote the reduction of litter and its impact on the environment;
• A policy to encourage the development of technology and other programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality and promote public health; and
• Stormwater management regulations that focus on both agricultural and manmade storm runoff and do not impose disproportionate burdens on economic development and redevelopment projects that contribute substantially to Virginia’s tax base.
XII. HEALTH CARE
GRCC recognizes the importance of the healthcare industry to the economy and the community, and supports federal and state reimbursement levels that do not harm providers or result in a shift of the payment burden to the private sector . GRCC also supports federal health reforms that reduce the number of those without insurance, but assert that the costs of reform should not be borne disproportionately by the business community which has, in general, provided coverage for its workforce. With reform, the Chamber supports initiatives to improve quality and lower costs, ensure fair regulation of the insurance market, build a robust marketplace for consumers, expand the adoption of healthcare IT, place an emphasis on prevention and wellness, and promote pay-for-performance, and tort reform.
The Chamber specifically supports policies that;
• Support collaborative efforts between healthcare stakeholders, including providers, purchasers, insurers and consumers, to ensure continued innovation and creativity in the private marketplace;
• Expand healthcare infrastructure in the region to meet community needs, including planning for emergency and pandemic preparedness;
• Rely on market forces rather than government mandates to encourage availability of a variety of health insurance plans to businesses of all sizes, including sole proprietors, and the ability for employers to offer a choice of plans to employees, even in small groups;
• The Chamber specifically supports Virginia’s choice to work toward the creation of a state-controlled Health Benefits Exchange, as required by the federal healthcare reform legislation.
• Maintain the Commonwealth’s Medical Malpractice Cap;
• Reduce the state’s burden and provide tax incentives to help small businesses offset the staggering increases in health insurance and costs;
• Reduce or limit health plan and employer liability in order to allow for more affordable health insurance;
• Create forward-funded, refundable tax credits for the purchase of private health coverage for low- and moderate-income individuals and families;
• Limit legislation that requires employers to cover specific benefits due to the connection between mandated benefits and increased health insurance premiums for businesses; and
• Increase easy access to and availability of verifiable data to enable consumers to make informed and educated healthcare choices.