Last month I outlined some of our goals and initiatives for the coming year; I am glad to report we are making progress and are completing some of those projects. We partnered with WCBC Radio and held our first political candidates forum on February 7th. The forum, which included candidates for the City of Cumberland primary election, was held at Allegany College of Maryland.

We had a great turnout, 11 of the 13 candidates were there and about 40 people were in attendance. The best part of this partnership was that WCBC broadcasted the two hour event live, which made it easy for anyone to hear the views of the candidates without leaving the comfort of their homes. It was such a success that the program was rebroadcast a few days later. We plan on continuing this partnership with WCBC for future elections. I would like to thank our panelists that asked questions during the forum; Terry Michels, Queen City Creamery; Rick Thayer, First United Bank and Trust; George McKinley, Attorney at Law and Bryan Gowans, WCBC. Tim Woodring was an excellent moderator for the evening. I think WCBC needs to be recognized for creating this opportunity for our community. We have a responsibility to learn as much as much as we can about any candidate that is running for office. I respect anyone who is willing to give to the community to make this a better place for us and our children. Running for office is very intense and time consuming. You have to be able to handle constant criticism and keep an upbeat attitude. Please learn about the candidates and vote responsibly.

The Legislative Committee has been very busy. We have reviewed countless bills already this year and the committee has taken positions on several of them. We supported the various bills introduced to repeal the computer tax. The committee also wrote letters of support to exempt Allegany County from the additional 20% tax added to the electronic tip jar games. If you would like more information on our Legislative Committee, please visit our website www.alleganycountychamber.com and click on the Legislative Committee.

Even though the Economic Development Committee did not meet in January, the committee has already accomplished some of their goals. We have established a sub-committee to address comprehensive planning, comprised of representatives from CACIF, Historic Highlands Association of Realtors, Home Builders Association of Western Maryland, The Greater Cumberland Committee and the Chamber of Commerce. This group will review the comprehensive plans, as they are developed and updated by the county, and will provide input. At our February meeting, our speakers addressed the needs of start up companies within our region and identified areas that we may be able to provide assistance or fill a gap. The Economic Development Committee meets the last Thursday of the month at 8:00am in the Chamber Boardroom. Everyone is welcome to attend.

You now are receiving the newsletter via e-mail and hard copy, so please pass it on.

                                 Barb