Columbia Chamber of Commerce to focus on airport, university funding

Despite an anticipated $80 million in budget cuts to higher education, the Columbia Chamber of Commerce will continue ahead with a list of six priorities that it will work on at the state level this year.

Chamber of Commerce president Matt McCormick said Tuesday that the chamber anticipated there could be cuts but they didn’t know where they would eventually land.

“These are issues that are near and dear to Columbia and the betterment of Columbia as we continue to movie forward so they’re items that we need to have on there,” said McCormick. “As budget numbers continue to solidify and state revenues continue to solidify and fluctuate we need to make sure that these issues are on the forefront of the legislator’s brains as they’re looking at the issues.”

Listed below are the priorities:

Support $10 appropriate for FY 2018 to fund Columbia Regional Airport Terminal Project

“In August, city voters approved the city portion [of funding] and we need to really put in place the state portion or additional funding to match the $20 million we’re going after for federal government,” said Jerry Dowell, the director of the chamber’s government affairs committee.

Support the release of the withhold of $2 million appropriation in FY 2017 and $8 appropriation in FY 2018 to expand education and training for the University of Missouri Research Reactor.

Last year, chamber members were able to successfully make sure $2 million was appropriated to the reactor, but it was withheld at the end of last year. Members are hoping to get the $2 million back and then secure the other $8 million needed to expand the reactor.

“We may have area legislators that didn’t know about the MU research reactor and we were able to educate them,” said Dowell.

Support a sustainable funding plan for a comprehensive transportation system to better support Missouri’s economic growth with a focus of advocating on rebuilding Interstate 70. Support state funding requests for $491 million in core funding to help ensure the University can carry out their Mission.

Support the Mizzou Stewardship Model by dedicating reoccurring funding of $15 million to address the backlog of renovation and repair projects totaling $748 million on the University of Missouri campus.

“Here at the University of Missouri we have $748 million in deferred maintenance,” said Dowell.

Dowell said when you’re not maintaining a building, it deteriorates over time until its cheaper to replace the building.

“We have a lot of historic buildings on campus and that’s not something we’re going to do,” he said.

The chamber said it is hoping it can convince legislators to appropriate some of that money if they understand the importance of maintaining those historic buildings.

Support funding of $53 million for the Waters Hall and plant growth facilities on the University of Missouri campus.

Dowell said it will be a challenge to ask for funding with the restricted budget as well as get to know the dozens of new legislators in Jefferson City.

“That’s problematic for us but I think with education we can kind of move the needle,” he said.

McCormick said they can also focus on priorities in different areas as well as make adjustments to funding requests if need be.

For the first time, the Chamber of Commerce unveiled a local agenda this year.