It looked for awhile last week like the Chamber's efforts to get the City to enhance its economic development program might get swept away by the City's budget woes.

The Chamber had fought successfully to get expansion of the program as one of the City's top four budget goals. As the council's highest priorities, money should be allocated to each goal. But the proposed work program included not a single additional dollar for economic development, even though our local businesses are facing an unprecedented economic crisis.

Chamber leaders argued at Tuesday night's council meeting that this crisis demands quick action to stabilize our economy and that the goal process was a sham if no money is diverted to the top goals. The council majority agreed, and asked for a revised proposal with more options to come back to them May 28th.