Tuesday, June 9, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ann Arbor Public Schools FY09/10 Proposed Budget
Ann Arbor, MI -- The Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce has conducted a review of the Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS) FY09/10 proposed budget. The Chamber commends the district’s efforts in preparing a budget that enables it to continue to provide quality education that our community expects.
We believe that AAPS is a critical community asset, contributing substantially to the Ann Arbor area’s high quality of life. This, in turn, draws talent to the area, which is of obvious and significant benefit to the business community.
In light of current and foreseeable future financial constraints, we urge the district to continue to focus on its core mission of education, scrutinizing all other activities and functions, particularly those occurring outside of the classroom. We also urge the district to exercise caution with regard to certain budget assumptions. Of particular concern are enrollment projection and union contract negotiation forecasts. In terms of future union contract negotiations, we urge the district to ensure that union health care and retirement benefit costs are consistent with those of the private sector.
Several policy opportunities necessary to continued provision of quality education are as follows:
• We urge AAPS to continue to focus on its core mission of education by further exploring opportunities to outsource non-core functions, such as custodial and transportation, and by continuing to work collaboratively with other area school districts, the Washtenaw Intermediate School District and area colleges and universities. AAPS is to be commended for recent collaborative purchasing within the areas of technology, bus and bus parts.
• In order to reduce transportation costs and potentially increase communitywide levels of service, we urge AAPS to continue to work cooperatively with the Ann Arbor Transit Authority and University of Michigan transportation systems, exploring collaborative opportunities as they pertain to such things as shared maintenance and bussing routes.
• We recognize that many AAPS expenses are mandated or fixed by state law and that AAPS is thus unable to effect certain desired internal reforms absent state-level legislative change. Of particular note in this regard are reforms to and cost improvements on employee/retiree benefits. We continue to urge AAPS to actively engage the Ann Arbor area business community to aid in effecting such change, thus removing statutory impediments to reform and cost reduction.
For additional information, please contact Kyle Mazurek, v.p. of government affairs, at 734.214.0101.
The Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce is a 1,400-member community non-profit organization that actively facilitates, educates, and advocates on behalf of its members through our services and programs. Chamber member offerings include numerous networking opportunities and events, educational seminars, leadership development, member-to-member discounts and access to health insurance.
Monday, May 4, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ann Arbor Chamber Announces Support for Maintaining Arts Grants Funding
Ann Arbor, MI - The Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce would like to see Governor Granholm and the Michigan Legislature maintain Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA) arts grants funding.
The arts and cultural sector is a substantial economic driver integral to Michigan’s economic recovery. The Washtenaw County nonprofit arts and cultural sector alone is a $165 million industry. In Washtenaw County approximately 2,600 jobs are directly tied to this sector, generating an estimated $57 million in household income.
What’s more, Ann Arbor’s arts and culture are integral to the area’s outstanding quality of life. They make for a vibrant and creative community, and significantly contribute to attraction and retention of top, young talent and innovative businesses, which has a lasting and far reaching economic impact. Theater performances, movies, concerts, exhibitions and other arts related activities attract thousands of visitors who frequent the area’s restaurants, shops and parking facilities during their cultural excursions. It is estimated that the four Ann Arbor art fairs draw one-half million visitors to Ann Arbor each year, and that these visitors spend an estimated $5 million on hotels, $25.2 million on dining and $48.7 million on shopping.
The MCACA made grants totaling $518,000 to Ann Arbor based arts organizations in FY09. The elimination of these funds would be detrimental to the vitality of Ann Arbor’s downtown area. It would jeopardize the health and well-being of all Ann Arbor area arts organizations. It would potentially inhibit the state’s ability to capture approximately $800,000 annually from the National Endowment for the Arts to re-grant to Michigan arts organizations.
While the Chamber recognizes that budgetary constraints will necessitate difficult decisions amongst competing interests far into the foreseeable future, we believe that the return on investment in arts and culture (both tangible and intangible) warrants funding maintenance. We hope that the state considers arts funding as an economic development tool, and urge it to continue to invest in arts and culture as one means of redressing Michigan’s economic woes.
For additional information, please contact Kyle Mazurek, v.p. of government affairs, at 734.214.0101.
The Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce is a 1,400-member community non-profit organization that actively facilitates, educates, and advocates on behalf of its members through our services and programs. Chamber member offerings include numerous networking opportunities and events, educational seminars, leadership development, member-to-member discounts and access to health insurance.
