The SACC General Membership Welcomes Speaker Mary Kane

The January 18^th General Membership Luncheon, held at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center, featured speaker was Mary Kane, President/CEO of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce. Kane leads an organization representing more than 6,800 businesses across Maryland.

Kane provided the attendees with updates on the Maryland General Assembly Session that convened in Annapolis on January 10^th.

Central among her comments was the good news that state legislators are listening to the business community. While Maryland has embarked on aggressive climate change goals with the 2022 Climate Change legislation, Kane commented, “These energy goals will not be turned back, particularly on the 2035 mandated date. It is imperative that legislators hear from businesses about adverse impacts some of these climate goals will create.”

Keeping Maryland competitive with neighboring states is also essential. Kane pointed out that even though the Governor understands this, he has stated that businesses in Maryland have the choice to move.

That choice is driven by factors including lower neighboring state corporate income tax rates. Delaware corporate income tax rate is currently 6%, while Pennsylvania is gradually lowering their rate to 4.9%. Kane noted, “Meanwhile, Maryland sits at a whopping 8.3% corporate income tax rate, of course businesses can, and will, explore other options.”

Kane also shared some of the data points from the latest edition of the 2024 Competitiveness REDBOOK The REDBOOK provides an analysis of Maryland’s economic health, offering benchmarks and insights into areas of strength and opportunities for future improvement.

Kane commented, “The Maryland Chamber’s goal in sharing this publication is to spark conversations, inform strategic policy makers, and foster partnerships, all of which are geared towards enhancing Maryland’s competitiveness.”

The February General Membership Luncheon, featuring newly appointed Salisbury Mayor Randy Taylor,  will be held on February 15^th at 11:30 a.m. at Green Hill Country Club in Quantico, MD. Tickets are $35 for members and $45 for non-members and may be purchased at www.salisburyarea.com.