The Corvallis Independent Business Alliance recently applied for a small portion of this year’s Economic Development Allocation from the City’s Transient Room Tax (hotel-motel).

We have been totally self-funded since our inception in 2002, but decided we needed some additional help to broaden our programs and increase our ability to attract additional funding in the years to come. Fortunately, the members of the committee recognized our ability to serve the locally owned, independently operated businesses and awarded us the necessary funds to produce our annual membership directory.

Thank you, Corvallis!

This directory will be published in time for the holiday season, and I strongly encourage any business that is eligible to join CIBA now and receive a free, detailed listing in the directory. It is a great resource for visitors and member businesses to direct customers to locally owned shops and services.

This was an important step in our plan to become a more capable partner with the other members of the Economic Vitality Partnership. We serve as a fundamental link between the basic interests of our community and the overall economic vitality and diversity of our business environment. We focus exclusively on locally owned business. And we include all areas of Corvallis — not just downtown.

These last two points need some clarification because it became apparent during the deliberations for funding that CIBA’s distinctions were not clearly understood by all the committee members. While it may appear on the surface that many of our functions duplicate or overlap with other business organizations, a little bit of careful thought and common sense will reveal how very important our differences really are.

While we may not be able to match the Downtown Corvallis Association or the Corvallis Benton Chamber Coalition in size of budget or current resources, we are a significant partner in Corvallis’ long-term vitality. CIBA focuses on the locally owned businesses that return about 3½ times the local economic impact of national retailers. We are currently focusing on making sure the money that other organizations bring to Corvallis stays in Corvallis and multiplies. As we mature and develop other funding sources, we will expand our efforts to help member businesses survive and prosper though our programs of mentoring, education and local recruitment to improve diversity of choice and character. All of these efforts have as the common goal to keep our local economy vibrant and responsive to local needs.

We accept members from the greater Corvallis area: Ninth Street, Kings Boulevard, North and South Corvallis, Downtown, Philomath and other nearby outlying areas. We represent all the locally owned, independently operated businesses who rely on our community for their continued patronage. All decisions are based on local considerations, not corporate guidelines from outside Corvallis. The owners all live and raise their families here, and participate in community events and fund raisers. They are invested in the local long-term vitality and continued exceptional character our citizens have repeatedly stated as a primary reason they either moved here or choose to stay and invest locally.

In summary, CIBA exists to serve as a voice for local uniqueness and to support those who contribute to the economic vitality of our community. We are not “anti-growth,” but serve as a positive advocate for the “think local first” option. And we enhance the work of other organizations because we focus exclusively on the locally owned businesses that represent the greatest return per dollar earned to our community.