Chester County daily news business briefs worth noting:
Leadership Chester County Graduates 28
Twenty-eight Chester County residents from a wide range of backgrounds including legal, business, healthcare, financial, IT, and marketing graduated last week from Leadership Chester County (LCC) at a ceremony held at Penn Oaks Golf Club.
LCC is a program of the United Way of Chester County provided in partnership with Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry, and West Chester University. LCC annually includes projects with local nonprofits where the students act as an engaged board would in addressing the issues.
Half the LCC Class of 2015 worked closely with Coatesville Area Senior Center to develop strategies in marketing, program development and community collaboration to serve a new generation of consumers over the age of 60. The second half of the LCC class explored techniques to expand the Domestic Violence Center of Chester County’s education, prevention, and service scope to adults in the workplace.
“We’re very proud of this initiative,” adds United Way of Chester County CEO, Claudia Hellebush, “Over the longevity of the program, LCC has vested 345 trained leaders to more than 300 nonprofit endeavors, helping to secure a strong future for Chester County through high quality, effectively run social service organizations.”
Philadelphia May (Or May Not) Have A Tax Issue
Think business taxes are high in Chester County?
Think again.
Turn’s out county taxes are some of the lowest in the region and nothing compared to the cash Philadelphia-based businesses hand over to Philly’s mayor every year.
In a front page story, Philly.com reported yesterday Philadelphia’s corporate income tax, gross receipts tax, use and occupancy tax, and a city sales tax, not to mention the city wage tax, may be hindering long-term job creation in the City of Brotherly Love.
That heavier tax burden, coupled with the Philadelphia wage tax that is nearly four times higher than the average in the suburbs, has long handicapped the city’s job growth.
Some business and civic leaders fear that Philadelphia’s gains as a place to live, evident in seven straight years of population growth, are at risk if the city’s tax structure isn’t retooled to encourage job growth.
They are hopeful that a tax overhaul – which could also help improve Philadelphia’s weak school system by building a stronger tax base – is on the horizon.
For the record, in the four year period from September 2010 through February 2014, private-sector employment grew by 35,000 jobs in Philadelphia. That 6.6 percent growth is in line with the 6.9 percent growth experienced across the entire region.
Top photo credit: Eerie light over skyline via photopin (license)
