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San Joaquin County, CA November 4, 2008 Election
Smart Voter

Improve Economic Development

By Michael Maciel

Candidate for Council Member; City of Tracy

This information is provided by the candidate
Tracy is loosing business and investment opportunities to other area communities.
Tracy has fallen behind other area communities when it comes to taking advantage of economic development opportunities. In spite of Tracy's superior location relating to Bay Area markets, low crime rate and skilled work force, Manteca is the home for a new retail center anchored by Bass Pro Shop and Stockton recently opened a Toyota parts manufacturing plant. Those parts are being shipped through Tracy to an assembly plant in Fremont.

Tracy has an unenviable reputation with the business community as a city that is difficult to deal with. If Tracy is to take advantage of market opportunities as the economy improves, we must change that negative perception. We must review our organizational culture when it comes to dealing with our business customers. It should be the job of city government to facilitate, not regulate, new investment in our town.

We need to review our fee schedules to ensure they are appropriate, fair and competitive. Tracy needs to look to neighboring communities to see what strategies have made them successful with economic development, including identifying appropriate incentives. And finally, Tracy needs to reach out to the business community to seek their input on how to improve service.

As a community, we need to take advantage of Tracy's many assets when it comes to attracting investment and jobs, and stop being our own worst enemy.

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ca/sj Created from information supplied by the candidate: September 27, 2008 13:58
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