Austin’s leaders are looking for answers to transportation needs as rapid growth pushes housing and job centers farther from the urban core, straining an already overburdened transportation system. At a recent infrastructure summit hosted by the Austin Chamber of Commerce, public officials and mobility experts outlined the scope of the challenges and emerging strategies to […]
Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce
The Austin Chamber of Commerce is a private, membership-driven organization that includes 3,000 businesses, civic organizations, educational institutions, and individuals. According to the chamber’s website, “Its mission is to provide leadership that facilitates the creation of a prosperous regional economy and effective advocacy for its members.”
Posted inAustin
Local housing, child care costs remain high as analysts expect strong economy overall
With analysts expecting the U.S. economy to remain strong in the year ahead, local leaders returned to common concerns – housing costs, child care and wages – as the biggest issues facing the Austin economy headed into 2025. The Austin Chamber of Commerce’s annual Economic Outlook gave attendees some clear indicators of what’s ahead globally […]
Posted inPolice
Council weighs financial impact of proposed police contract
As City Council weighs approval of a proposed police contract expected to cost $218 million over five years, city budget staff on Tuesday presented a brighter financial outlook compared to the dire projections given earlier this year. At Tuesday’s work session, there were no warnings of a $60 million budget deficit by 2029. Budget Officer […]
Posted inAustin
Chamber group touts $1M small business loan program ahead of regional plan
Ahead of an in-progress comprehensive plan slated for completion later this year, Austin’s Diversity and Ethnic Chamber Alliance (DECA) has secured a commitment from two local banks to loan $1 million to member small businesses. The loans, which will be issued by Business & Community Lenders and Wells Fargo, are tied in part to the […]
Posted inAustin
Jobs development roundup: A split at Austin Chamber; Huston-Tillotson and Skillpoint Alliance fill gaps
The Austin Chamber of Commerce has parted ways with Opportunity Austin, the job creation and economic development arm of the organization since 2004. The now-separate groups announced the split Tuesday while naming new leaders and explaining the move will allow each to focus on its core mission. Jeremy Martin, currently interim chief operating officer of […]
Posted inAustin
Business leaders see continued growth with airport’s expansion plans
Even with expansion plans somewhat scaled back because of the financial impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, local business leaders see the continued growth of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport as vital to the region’s long-term economic prospects. At a recent panel held by Urban Land Institute Austin, airport executives laid out the revised scope and schedule of […]
Posted inCity Hall
Council to consider equitable funding levels for minority chambers of commerce
The city appears to have struck a bargain with four niche chambers of commerce to more equitably distribute each of their annual funding allocations from the city budget. Discussions have been ongoing for years about how to “normalize” the city’s funding for the Austin LGBT Chamber, Greater Austin Asian Chamber, Greater Austin Black Chamber, and […]
Posted inAustin
Chamber of Commerce offers rosy jobs report
Austin has once again come out as a top city in the country economically, as shown by a new report on job growth and unemployment from the Austin Chamber of Commerce. Researchers at the chamber found that Austin ranked number one among the top 50 metro areas in the U.S. based on regaining pre-pandemic jobs […]
Posted inAustin
Chamber prez credits Austin’s rapid recovery to diverse local economy
Even after nearly two years of Covid-19 restrictions, Austin continues to have one of the strongest regional economies in the United States. Austin Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Laura Huffman says the key to that bounce-back comes from the diversity of the local business community. With health care a growing presence because of the […]
Posted inAustin
Addressing affordability no easy task in Austin
During last week’s speech on the state of the city, Mayor Steve Adler identified issues the city has been grappling with, including defeating Covid and homelessness. He also pointed out the next big issues the city must tackle in order to allow Austinites to continue to live and thrive here. The top issue on the […]
Posted inAustin
Local leaders say Samsung deal could boost middle-skill jobs
As city staffers continue to work behind the scenes negotiating an economic incentive package with Samsung to bring a $17 billion manufacturing operation to Austin, some local leaders see the deal as a large positive step for increasing so-called middle-skill jobs. During a presentation at last week’s annual meeting of the Austin Chamber, Mayor Steve […]
Posted inAustin
Adler praises planned talks on homelessness, pushes for clear timeline
In a presentation at Wednesday’s annual meeting of the Austin Chamber, Mayor Steve Adler praised a soon-to-be-announced partnership between the group and other local organizations around plans to address the city’s homeless population. Adler’s comments during the event hinted at the forthcoming community conversations that will be organized by the chamber, the Downtown Austin Alliance […]