Expectations of Local Government from the Business Sector by Barbara McNees

Barbara McNees, President of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, discussed the expectations of local governments from the business sector. McNees thinks that the business community is easy to get along with, and all they want to see is basic services, safety and cleanliness, and predictability or uniformity before they make an investment in a community. She notes that many developments cross municipal boundaries, but cooperation and uniformity are lacking, which makes businesses wary of investment. McNees mentioned the Waterfront Development, and the issues they faced with permitting, taxing, etc. across the municipalities involved. She maintained that a technology deployment is essential because people want to do business on the internet, and said that areas doing this well will see more rapid development growth.