Ann Meagher”™s disarming smile belies the tough talk she can muster on issues important to her 1,000 business colleagues.
Times are tough, she says, that”™s why the Greater Southern Dutchess Chamber of Commerce has been responsive to the needs of its business members.
“Our business members are doing more with less and so are we,” said Meagher, who has been president and CEO of the all-women-staffed chamber since March 15, 1995.
“Things are tight; credit is tight. There”™s a crisis in confidence. My own personal spending habits have changed. People”™s spending habits have changed,” Meagher said.
The chamber is providing more opportunities for members to network and to find cost-effective ways to grow their respective businesses, she said. “We”™re trying to be creative and be nimble; to address the unique needs of our business members. We recognize we cannot be cookie-cutter, not in this environment.”
Meagher said the chamber has changed its programs to reflect the times. For example, there are a lot more panel discussions.
“Our small-business council is one of the best examples of what we do differently,” she said. “They provide all kinds of resources free for our business members. They are the most popular things we do. They sell out even though they”™re free.”
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The one major issue that has kept members fuming since it was passed by the state Legislature earlier this year is the MTA payroll tax.
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The financial bailout package for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority placed a 34-cent tax on every $100 of payroll on all 12 counties in the MTA service area, including Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Orange and Dutchess counties. The tax includes not just businesses, but nonprofits and the health care sector such as hospitals.
The legislation served as a tipping point for Meagher”™s chamber.
“Chambers of commerce can”™t be just about networking any more. This economy doesn”™t allow it. You need to be an advocate for your members. The best example was advocacy work, although we were unsuccessful, with the MTA payroll tax. It helped to engage our business members in a very substantive way and make them aware of what”™s happening on a policy level.”
Rather than just let the residual anger build among members about the MTA tax, Meagher made some calls. The result of her work is a breakfast meeting open to the public Dec. 1 at the Fishkill Holiday Inn with Jay Walder, the new MTA chairman who was approved by the Legislature in September.
“The MTA has a serious public relations problem in the Hudson Valley. And he may not be the architect, but he owns it now,” Meagher said. “We need to have a practical conversation with the chairman about what his vision is for the MTA and how he”™s going to repair this relationship with the Hudson Valley.”
She acknowledges that the railroad has made significant investments in Dutchess County, specifically upgrading and remodeling the train station in Poughkeepsie and Beacon, but generally Hudson Valley businesses have been hurt by the tax.
“That”™s the problem with the state Legislature; policy is being driven by the interests of New York City and this is patently unfair.”
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Meagher is heartened by legislation introduced last week by state Sen. Steve Saland and co-sponsored by Hudson Valley Sens. Vincent Leibell, John Bonacic and William Larkin that would shift the burden of the tax onto Connecticut rail commuters.
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The bill points to the disparity between rail riders in Dutchess, Orange, Putnam and Rockland counties and the amount of money that needs to be contributed to the MTA bailout package. The ridership in the four counties comprises “only 1 percent of the combined population” of the counties, the bill states. The counties have to pay $90 million in the new tax. The bill breaks down the cost per rider to “close to $32,000.”
With 26 percent of Metro-North Railroad riders Connecticut residents, the legislation asks the MTA to renegotiate the joint service operating agreement to reflect a more fair equity.
“I think it”™s a creative approach. (It reflects) the disparate treatment that the Hudson Valley is receiving vs. the other areas of the MTA community that gets far greater service,” Meagher said. “Whether it gets any traction is the next question.”
As far as merging chambers for increasing lobbying power, Meagher said, “It certainly appears it would be a lot easier if there were one organization.”
But she said there are pros and cons to everything.
“We don”™t take (a) one-size-fits-all approach. I think I would have a really hard time taking that lasered approach to try and match my members of who do you want to meet, where do you want to grow if you”™re one enormous organization. And I say that very readily; if you want to grow your business in southern Dutchess County, you really should be a part of our organization because we can help you do that. But if you”™re a business in Millerton ”“ I love Millerton ”“ I”™m not going to be able to help you and I”™m not going to lie to you about that.”
As for the concerns of up-and-coming entrepreneurs, Meagher points to a recent survey by her chamber that confirmed “young people don”™t believe that opinion leaders and policy leaders understand or care or are concerned about what”™s on the minds of the young professional.”
“There was a real disconnect between opinion leaders and young professionals. As a result ”¦ it gave me the impetus to do something about it. So we developed a public policy committee for The HUB.” The group was formed two years ago and serves as a network for young professionals.
The survey prompted Meagher to “position young professionals in the community with policy leaders; to connect them, to give them a voice, to get them engaged. Caring about what happens from the planning board level on up.”
