PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

CONTACT:

John Lehn, Chairman CCVEDC, 559-585-3536

Bobby Kahn, Vice Chair CCVEDC, 559-675-778

CCVEDC Conducts Annual Mission to State Capitol

April 16, 2012 - California Central Valley Economic Development Corporation (CCVEDC) board members recently completed their annual Legislative mission to Sacramento.  In meetings with over 18 Legislators and State Officials, CCVEDC members outlined issues vital to the survival of the economy and the business climate in California.

“In a state as large as California, it is vital to keep Central Valley issues in front of our state legislators” stated CCVEDC President John Lehn. “It is critical for legislators to hear the impact that state regulation has on business, and the stories of businesses choosing to expand or locate in other states and countries due to California’s competitive disadvantage. We need to focus on making the business climate in the state more inviting, “said Lehn. 

Retention of the Enterprise Zones in California again topped the list of issues for which the CCVEDC was seeking support.  The retention of the Enterprise Zone, the single-most effective tool to promote job creation and investment in California, is seen by Valley economic developers as being critical in the region’s economic recovery. The zones aid economically distressed communities by offering state tax credits to businesses that locate or expand within a designated geographic area.

“Enterprise Zones definitely impact the decision of businesses to locate or expand here in the Valley. With the loss of the Redevelopment Areas in the State, Enterprise Zones have become even more important,” expressed Bobby Kahn, CCVEDC Vice-Chair. There are currently 42 authorized zones in California, including at least one Enterprise Zone in each Valley County stretching from Kern to San Joaquin.

Other issues addressed by the CCVEDC Board included cleanup legislation in the dissolution of Redevelopment Areas, coordination of state rules enforcement, encouraging regional state permit processing and supporting the establishment of a federal San Joaquin Valley Economic Development District for regional infrastructure projects.

In addition to valley legislators, the group met with members of the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development and the Economy, officials from the state’s lead agency on economic development, and a consultant firm for California Enterprise Zones.

CCVEDC is a not-for-profit Corporation, whose mission is to attract and retain jobs and investment in the Central San Joaquin Valley counties of San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern.

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