How to Work Productively with Town Officials
Abstract: Policies and programs out of Washington can have profound effect on businesses large and small. Even so, municipal ordinances very often have a more immediate impact on profits. Business owners need to cultivate productive relationships with town officials to promote “business friendly” regulations.
Municipal ordinances can touch business operations in a remarkable number of ways. A partial list includes taxation, business licensing, zoning laws, street and traffic patterns, parking regulations, building design and signage, environmental and health regulations, and even the installation of unsightly utility poles and cell phone towers.
And that’s not all. “Local governments have been expanding their role into employee benefits and rights,” said Marc H. Pfeiffer, Assistant Director at the Bloustein Local Government Research Center. “In many cases, cities are establishing minimum wages.”
