Water access and reliability was top of mind for valley businesses, both in terms of infrastructure needs and economic policies, according to a recent poll by BizFed Central Valley.
The other two areas of critical concern were government regulations and compliance plus taxes and fees.
This is the first poll BizFed Central Valley has conducted of its members – top valley business associations and businesses between Madera and Kern counties.
BizFed CV polls its members each year to gather real time data on which issues are most pressing for area businesses.
“In order to provide hope and upward momentum for all valley residents, we must
have a thriving economy,” said Darius Assemi, president and CEO of Granville Homes and chair of Biz Fed Central Valley. “For that to happen, policy makers must have a greater understanding of issues faced by local businesses. The BizFed poll is an important tool that that keeps tabs on the pulse of business in the valley.”
Top three areas of critical concern in the business community for ongoing growth in the Central Valley:
1. Govt. regulation/compliance – 65.1% of respondents
2. Taxes and fees – 64.8% 3. Water access and reliability – 61.2%
Public infrastructure that needs immediate attention:
• Water (reservoirs/canals) – 47.5% of respondents
• Roads/streets – 42.9% of respondents
• Highways/freeways – 38.5% of respondents
California policies:
• Water access and reliability was ranked as the top economic policy Gov. Newsom needs to focus on. (by 66.7% of respondents).
• Second (49.7%) was taxes; and third (44.7%) was immigration.
Trump policies:
• “Removal of Obama-ear business regs” was ranked No. 1 (46.5% of respondents) as “good for business” under the Trump administration.
• The top “bad for business” policy was tariffs (23.6%)
BizFed Central Valley is a grassroots federation of businesses and associations from Madera to Kern counties. Its 54 members represent more than 20,000 valley businesses from a wide array of industry sectors.