CHAMBER NEWS
Government Affairs News
The Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee recently hosted a meeting of
government officials to discuss proposed changes to Scranton City and School
District tax structures.
At issue was a recommendation in the City’s Act 47 Recovery Plan to eliminate Gross
Receipts (Business Privilege and Mercantile) taxes currently levied on select categories
of businesses, in favor of a Payroll Preparation Tax, to be applied to all Scranton
businesses (except exempt categories of non-profit organizations).
The Chamber extends its deepest
sympathy to the family of former
Keystone College President Edward
G. Boehm, Jr., as well as to the entire
Keystone College community. President
Boehm served on the board of the
Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce
from 1997-2000, and on the board of
SLIBCO from 2001-2014.
Representatives of the city, the Act 47 coordinator from the Pennsylvania Economy
League, the school district and the state-appointed chief recovery officer met with
the committee to discuss issues that would have to be addressed to implement the
proposed change.
The Chamber has long been on record in opposition to the current business-specific
taxes, which are considered inequitable, difficult to monitor for compliance and a
disincentive for affected businesses to locate or stay within the city.
The Government Affairs Committee will continue to monitor this issue and report to
the Chamber Board and membership as this matter unfolds.
The Chamber helped celebrate the
grand opening of Lean Back Vapes in
Wilkes-Barre.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START YOUR BUSINESS?
Eric Darling
Twenty-two veterans kill themselves every day—have you ever wondered
why veterans are two-and-a-half times more likely to die by suicide than our
civilian counterparts? We at Valhalla Veterans Services believe we know why
veterans are more prone to suicide and how to reduce those numbers. Since
2001, I have personally witnessed the loss of seven soldiers in combat, eight
to suicide, and three to the use of prescription drugs and alcohol. In 2012, I
began studying veteran suicide to understand why so many of my brothers
had chosen to kill themselves. Valhalla Veterans Services was incorporated in
2016 to provide free counseling, suicide prevention training, and to serve as a
link between local veteran groups so we could all make the process of finding
help easier.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT DOING BUSINESS LOCALLY?
Valhalla
Veterans
Services
Clarks Summit, PA
Member since 2019
Northeastern Pennsylvania is a truly patriotic region with a heart for veteran-
related issues.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO JOIN THE CHAMBER?
The fight against veteran suicide is a fight for our lives and the task is immense.
We can’t do it alone and we hope that members of the Chamber will get
involved and help us win this battle.
www.scrantonchamber.com • 3