Vote YES to Fix Tacoma’s Roads, Vote YES on Propositions 3 and A

Repairing Tacoma’s roads has long been a top reported priority of Tacoma’s residents, elected officials, and businesses.  

While no tax increase would be an ideal situation, the Chamber has worked for years to evaluate funding and improvement options for Tacoma’s roads, and has endorsed both Proposition 3 and Proposition A. 

When combined, these Propositions responsibly and equitably spread the tax burden among all parties and include a 10-year sunset date on the package to ensure no money is being taken for granted.  

When added to matching grants and contributions, the total package would provide Tacoma with 325 million dollars to repair roads and improve a situation that has been unacceptably stagnant for far too long.

Vote YES on 3. Vote YES on A. Vote YES for Tacoma’s streets.

Chamber Endorses Initiative 1B

In this year’s general election, the outcome of Initiative 1 regarding the status of the minimum wage in Tacoma has the power to drastically impact businesses starting as soon as December 4^th of this year. 

If a raise in the minimum wage in Initiative 1 are approved by the voters, an unprecedented and risky minimum wage increase of either $15 or $12 will go into effect just four weeks following the election.

After careful consideration, the Chamber has endorsed voting for Initiative 1B, a plan that will phase in a minimum wage increase to $12 over the course of two years. This plan allows everyone to adjust to an increase in the minimum wage in a way that will both benefit workers and will not overwhelm businesses.

While raising the minimum wage or not should be a straightforward question, the structure of this year’s ballot has the potential to confuse voters. Initiative 1 is broken into two parts. First, voters will be asked whether or not a minimum wage increase should take place at all. Second, voters will be asked, if a minimum wage increase were to take place, whether they would support Initiative 1, an increase of the minimum wage to $15 immediately, or Initiative 1B, an increase of the minimum wage to $12 over two years.

Even if voters wanted to oppose an increase in the minimum wage altogether and vote no on the first question and ignore the second question, a minimum wage increase will still take place if a majority vote “yes” on part one.  That is why it is imperative, even if voters oppose an increase in the minimum wage, they also vote “yes” on 1B to ensure that the most appropriate increase in minimum wage for Tacoma is enacted.

The Chamber encourages, that whether you vote “yes” or “no” on raising the minimum wage, vote 1B, the Tacoma sized solution.

Voters’ Guide for Business Now Available

The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce’s third Voters’ Guide for Business is now available online for all voters and businesses concerned with how candidates’ views align with the best business and economic interests of Tacoma.

The Voters’ Guide for Business includes the responses, or lack thereof, to a Chamber produced survey from candidates in 35 contested races throughout the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber’s service area.  The Guide also includes the Chamber’s position on ballot initiatives that will directly influence job growth, businesses, and the overall health of the economy in Pierce County.

This year’s election is filled with candidates and initiatives that have the ability to influence issues regarding taxes, regulations, incentives, and the general business climate for years to come.  We encourage any voters concerned with the future of Tacoma’s economy to read and share our Guide, compare the candidates’ positions on important issues with your own preferences, and most importantly, keep them in mind while casting your ballot in the coming weeks.

Encourage Congress "YES" on EX-IM