Economic Development & Business Support

Local policies, tools and services should be designed to help local companies become more competitive and grow and thrive where they are rather than relocate. Local government should work collaboratively with the Chamber and other groups in attracting new employers and industries to Sonoma County that can increase local wages and generate new economic growth. We support:

• Investments in infrastructure that will help attract desired businesses with good paying jobs and development that will generate the tax base to sustain and produce a return on those investments.
• Prioritization of general maintenance and appearance of high-foot-traffic areas to enhance the customer experience. Ensuring clean sidewalks, addressing homelessness in business corridors, and other measures that create a more welcoming aesthetic will contribute to a vibrant economic environment that supports business recruitment and retention.
• Partnerships to create business accelerator and incubator programs to advance the successful development of startup and fledgling companies by an array of targeted resources and services to support local entrepreneurs and attract start-up companies from the greater Bay Area.
• The installation of tax credits and incentives to eligible businesses that encourage job creation—particularly focused on good paying jobs—workforce development, and business growth and investment. Strong relationships between local businesses, government, and the community will foster prosperity community wide.

As the economy changes and consumer patterns evolve, it will be important to protect key community sectors to healthy communities whose business models have been impacted, such as health and human services, and arts and culture. The health and human services sectors are indispensable pillars of a thriving community, allowing individuals to lead fulfilling and productive lives, improving community health, and enhancing overall quality of life. The arts sector and cultural initiatives foster community engagement and contribute to economic growth by attracting tourists, supporting local businesses, and creating jobs while enhancing quality of life.

Numerous economic impact studies cite an economic multiplier effect when local governments spend their money with local businesses that in turn rely on local supply chains boosting local economic activity, employment, and tax revenue. Local governments must maximize use of local business to fulfill logistical, material, food, medical, professional services, and other needs not available within the local governments’ normal functions. Project Labor Agreement policies represent a choice to limit competition, even among employers of a local skilled workforce, and to spend more tax-payer dollars to complete local projects. We’ve seen local PLA policies eliminate local contracts for local workers, and we know that this can stifle innovation, limit opportunities for locally owned small and minority owned businesses, and hinder economic growth. PLA policies undermine our ability to maximize taxpayer dollars and to foster a competitive and vibrant local economy.

To ease our housing crisis, government should do what it can to offset the impact of inflation and rising interest rates by reducing fees for multifamily housing development and refraining from imposing new or increased permitting, local development impact, or other construction related fees for a meaningful period of time.

A free press that covers community issues is a cornerstone of our democratic government. A strong local media environment is not only essential for an informed public but also closely tied to a healthy local economy. It plays a pivotal role in fostering a thriving community by facilitating the flow of information, encouraging dialogue, and ensuring accountability.

Local journalism is fundamental to well-functioning government and public oversight. Without it, communities experience weaker financial oversight of taxpayer dollars, higher borrowing costs, and decreased
civic engagement.

We support investments and protections that sustain a strong local journalism presence to serve as a check on government operations and financial management. Furthermore, we recognize and uphold the critical importance of free speech as a foundational element of democracy and economic prosperity.

The other eight sections of this platform are inextricably linked to our economic success.