Advocacy: The Greater Haverhill Chamber's Initiatives

The Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce participates in a wide variety of formal and ad hoc initiatives that are designed to have a positive impact on the communities we serve in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Team Haverhill

Team Haverhill is an independent, non-partisan, citizen action group dedicated to making Haverhill a better place to live, work and play.  Team Haverhill is funded by the Greater Haverhill Foundation and the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce under the Community Arts & Education grant.  Some of Team Haverhill’s Successes include:

Downtown Murals Project

Farmers Market
Shoe-la-bration

Small Business Roundtable - State of Massachusetts

Jim Jajuga, President/CEO of the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce sits
on the Small Business Roundtable created by Governor Deval Patrick and his
senior Economic Development team for the Commonwealth. We are only one of
two Chambers represented on the Committee. The Small Business Roundtable meets twice a month to discuss economic development issues and strategies for the Commonwealth. Jim has been representing the Merrimack Valley business community on this committee since its inception in June 2009.

Tax Classification - City of Haverhill

The Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs
Committee actively meets with Haverhill City Councilors and Haverhill City Assessor Steve Gullo to review and advocate for the business community's tax rate to be more evenly assigned with the residential tax rate. The City of Haverhill has a "split tax rate" in which Haverhill businesses are taxed at a higher rate than homeowners. In 2008 the Chamber was victorious holding business taxes steady.

Riverwalk Funding

The Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce with the leadership of President Jim Jajuga to secure funding for a Riverwalk in Haverhill. After several meetings with State Senator Steven Baddour, Jajuga announced that there has been an earmark of $10 Million dollars in the Transportation Bond Bill for a Riverwalk in Haverhill. The Riverwalk would extend from the Comeau Bridge to the Basiliere Bridge and complete the loop that connects the Haverhill side of the Merrimack River to the Bradford Side, which is already designated as a Rail/Trail by the Commonwealth.

Committee Activities

Mayor Fiorentini's Haverhill Parking Garage Committee
Plaistow Economic Development Committee

Close Relationships

The Merrimack Valley Planning Commission
The Merrimack Valley Economic Development Council
The Merrimack Valley Workforce Investment Board