Business Leaders, Government, Civic Groups, School Districts, Employers, Community and Service Organizations launch grassroots effort to jump start local economy

(Long Island, N.Y.) The economic crisis facing our nation is not sparing Long Island or any other region of New York State. The continued downward spiral in consumer spending, lack of confidence in the stock markets, and increased unemployment is having a profound negative impact on local small businesses and Main Street throughout the country.  On Long Island, both counties report a drop in anticipated sales tax revenue, and a proposed decrease in state aid which will likely result in service cuts, layoffs, increases in certain fees and higher property taxes. In the belief that recovery begins on Main Street, a group of business and community leaders from the hamlets and villages of Huntington have established the Huntington Township Business Council.
 
The Huntington Township Business Council is a coalition comprised of business and community leaders within the Village and Hamlets of Huntington working together to develop and implement effective strategies at a grassroots level which will benefit and support our local retail and business communities.  The initiative, which was originally spearheaded by the Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce, is welcomed within the Huntington communities and receiving an abundance of community support.  “The mission is simple. The business community has joined together to help promote life and business in our great Town and so doing we will encourage the wonderful people in all parts of the Town to shop and buy locally,” said Tom Kehoe, Co-Chair of the Huntington Township Business Council and Trustee, Northport Village.
 
This will be accomplished by:

• Advocacy: government and community at the grassroots level
• Proactive and coordinated communication among the villages and hamlets of Huntington
• Development and support of local programs and opportunities that encourage a stronger business environment
• Investigation of innovative opportunities and tools which will drive economic development and increase job growth

“Do we want to wait for economic recovery to come down from the federal level, or do we want to do something about it ourselves?” said Bob Bontempi, Co-Chair of the Huntington Township Business Council and Board Member of the Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce.   “We need to address the economic challenges in our own backyard and start recovery here,” he continued.
 
A major initiative of the Council is “It Starts Here,” an aggressive awareness campaign that will encourage consumers and businesses to buy local an important first step in jump starting the local economy.
 
 Among the key components of “It Starts Here” are:

• Increasing communication and collaborative planning among the various 
   Chambers and allied business organizations within the Town, and  
   implementing new programs to promote local businesses including
   marketing initiatives and special events;
• Invite participation from local banks and financial institutions to work with our    local business coalition in an effort to ease credit restrictions and open up access to capital;
• Coordinating with government to streamline and expedite permitting approvals processes;
• Develop a Town wide business web site for information and resource sharing, and solicit key business leaders for “Best Practices” addressing resource sharing;
• Partner with Town of Huntington Civic Associations to increase bottom up awareness of the impact of the economic crisis on our local economy and increase awareness between business, civic, government and the media.

“We understand that this is a very broad and comprehensive agenda, but if we don’t map out what we believe are potential successful strategies to assist our local business and industry our Main Streets will fall victim and our community will suffer,” said Mark Catapano, Chairman of the Board of the Melville Chamber of Commerce.   “This is a first step to bring together many of the local stakeholders to begin a dialogue and to develop our own recovery plan within the Town of Huntington,” explained Tom Hogan, President of the Cold Spring Harbor Business Improvement District. “It is time for the people and businesses within each of the communities in Huntington to come together and help ourselves by creating strategies that will benefit local businesses,” explained Jane Fontaine, Co-President of the Northport Chamber of Commerce.  “The government isn’t going to get us out of this mess.  We have to do it for ourselves,” concluded Mike Karp, Board Member and Past President of the East Northport Chamber of Commerce. 

For information about joining the Huntington Township Business Council, please contact Huntington Chamber of Commerce at 631-423-6100.