Chamber Vote Record Tracks Pro-Business City Council Actions
At last week’s Lubbock City Council meeting, an important business item was on the agenda for the Council’s review; a zoning change request for the future site of the Lubbock County Expo Center. This is a venue that will attract all sorts of business and tourism to Lubbock and could spur further growth and development in the area. As such, the Chamber recognized this as being a Council vote that would have ramifications for pretty much all who do business in Lubbock.
The Lubbock Chamber follows best practices outlined by the US Chamber of Commerce and the Texas Association of Business, which also utilize vote records to benefit their members and the voting public. When the Lubbock Chamber wants to record a Council vote, it follows a straightforward procedure. We outline our stance on the issue in an e-mail to the City Council, ask for a vote in support or in opposition to the agenda item(s), and notify them that the vote will be recorded.
This is a measure of transparency that prevents the Chamber from retroactively punishing or rewarding certain votes. We like our stances to be open and public, which is why we post our Public Policy Guide on our website and distribute it to elected officials and their staff.
Once the vote is conducted at a Council meeting, the Chamber updates its website to relay information about the agenda item that was being considered, and how all Council members voted. This is done simply as a measure of voter education and to illustrate one of the many ways public policy has an impact on how commerce is conducted in Lubbock.
The father of our Constitution, James Madison, wrote in The Federalist No. 51: “If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary… A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government.”
Madison understood that the government wouldn’t always get it right and that the input of the people and stakeholders of certain issues would be necessary for sound governance. That is precisely why the Chamber of Commerce exists; to provide input on behalf of our members during the public policy process. The City Council vote record also expresses the business community’s appreciation of Council members who are willing to make sometimes tough votes that are ultimately pro-growth, even in the face of opposition.
The Chamber has long believed that the business community needs a seat at the table when important decisions are being made to ensure that economic growth, quality jobs, and community development continue to thrive. We’re proud to not stand on the sidelines as we know the course will be set with or without us. We’re proud to represent 1,700 businesses in Lubbock and hope that all who conduct commerce in the area recognize the importance of the business community representing their interests before elected officials.
The Lubbock Chamber follows best practices outlined by the US Chamber of Commerce and the Texas Association of Business, which also utilize vote records to benefit their members and the voting public. When the Lubbock Chamber wants to record a Council vote, it follows a straightforward procedure. We outline our stance on the issue in an e-mail to the City Council, ask for a vote in support or in opposition to the agenda item(s), and notify them that the vote will be recorded.
This is a measure of transparency that prevents the Chamber from retroactively punishing or rewarding certain votes. We like our stances to be open and public, which is why we post our Public Policy Guide on our website and distribute it to elected officials and their staff.
Once the vote is conducted at a Council meeting, the Chamber updates its website to relay information about the agenda item that was being considered, and how all Council members voted. This is done simply as a measure of voter education and to illustrate one of the many ways public policy has an impact on how commerce is conducted in Lubbock.
The father of our Constitution, James Madison, wrote in The Federalist No. 51: “If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary… A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government.”
Madison understood that the government wouldn’t always get it right and that the input of the people and stakeholders of certain issues would be necessary for sound governance. That is precisely why the Chamber of Commerce exists; to provide input on behalf of our members during the public policy process. The City Council vote record also expresses the business community’s appreciation of Council members who are willing to make sometimes tough votes that are ultimately pro-growth, even in the face of opposition.
The Chamber has long believed that the business community needs a seat at the table when important decisions are being made to ensure that economic growth, quality jobs, and community development continue to thrive. We’re proud to not stand on the sidelines as we know the course will be set with or without us. We’re proud to represent 1,700 businesses in Lubbock and hope that all who conduct commerce in the area recognize the importance of the business community representing their interests before elected officials.
