ED Now

With more than 22 years of experience in business, organizational, and economic development, Terri May Peters, business development manager for Claremore (Okla.) Industrial and Economic Development Authority, always seeks opportunities to grow her professional knowledge, network, and skill set to better serve the local community. And with more than 80% of businesses in Rogers County employing fewer than 10 individuals, the small business sector is a driving force for the area's economy. IEDC’s Entrepreneurship Development Professional certification provided the perfect opportunity for Peters to ensure she had the skills needed to provide local small businesses with the tools, training, resources, and relationships needed to be ...

IEDC's Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) program recognizes organizational excellence in the areas of internal and external operations, structures, and procedures. This series profiles newly accredited AEDOs, putting some of economic development's highest-performing organizations in the spotlight. This edition: City of Garden Grove (Calif.) Office of Economic Development.

For IEDC’s second Economic Development Session—a series of fireside chats with leading economic development officials, thought leaders, and experts—IEDC president and CEO Nathan Ohle hosted Roy Williams, FM, CCE, president and CEO of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. They discussed economic development initiatives in Oklahoma City—host of IEDC’s 2022 Annual Conference next month—and how economic development in the city has changed over the years. Williams emphasized regionalism as a primary focus of his strategy. When he started at the chamber 20 years ago, it was focused on promoting the city, not the region. His first order of business was transforming it into a regional chamber, shifting the culture ...

In 2021 IEDC embarked on a mission to study state budgets and appropriations in order to learn about the wide variety of dedicated revenue sources used to fund statewide EDOs. This new report highlights these revenue sources to provide IEDC members with innovative ideas for how to fund their organizations.

By Gabriel Cabanas, IEDC intern The COVID-19 pandemic is sometimes considered a great equalizer, posing a threat to the livelihoods of all Americans. However, Americans are not impacted equally, and race and economic status can drastically influence how people are affected. New America, Urban America Forward, and the National Urban League explored these issues in the recent webinar What will urban America look like after COVID-19? Hospitality and tourism are two of the industries most impacted by COVID-19. All over the United States Americans are staying home, resulting in high levels of unemployment in these two sectors. Notably, in Baltimore the hotel industry is at 51 percent unemployment, more than double the national rate of ...

On June 21, the Supreme Court released its decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair, ruling that states can require online retailers to collect sales tax. The decision overturned the 1992 Quill v. North Dakota case that prohibited states from collecting sales tax from retailers with no locations or employees in the state. The case was heard based on the court’s dormant commerce clause, which restricts state taxation of interstate commerce; but the dissenting opinions wrote that the matter should be determined by Congress, not the court (U.S. Legal). States are now able to collect billions from online retailers. Nineteen of the 20 largest retailers already collect state sales tax, and many who support the ruling say that the court’s ...

Back-to-school sales-tax holidays may benefit families and retailers slightly, but they’re a bad deal for state (and sometimes local) governments, many contend. Supporters argue tax holidays generate a short-term economic stimulus, but there’s little evidence to support this; opponents are quick to point out that most consumers would make these purchases anyway. Many analysts see tax holidays’ persistence as purely political, and because consumers have come to expect them. But this year, some states are cutting back: Florida reduced its holiday from 10 days to three; Louisiana lowered its sales tax from 5 percent to 3 percent, rather than eliminating it; and Massachusetts isn’t having one this year (New York ...

Several states are expanding sales taxes to reach more service-based businesses (Stateline). Companies as varied as beauty salons, funeral homes, dry cleaners, pet groomers, and cleaning services now must charge sales tax in many states. In addition to shoring up state budgets, this shift is explained by the United States’ continued transition to a service-based economy and the proliferation of online retail (which often goes untaxed). In North Carolina, services ranging from car repairs to appliance installation are now subject to sales tax (News & Observer). Many had already charged tax on parts and equipment, but now labor is taxable as well. Online retail targeted: Individuals already are supposed to report online purchases ...