Candidates at Two Rivers forum prioritize jobs, downtown marketing and small-business supports

At a candidate forum hosted by TRBA in Two Rivers, three candidates for city council focused their answers on ways to attract businesses and higher‑paying jobs, shore up downtown commerce and market the city to remote and visiting workers.

The candidates said the city should pursue employers that deliver “good jobs” with benefits, tie development incentives to hiring outcomes, improve marketing of existing businesses, and create low‑cost supports for small startups such as co‑working space and tourism‑related excursion businesses along the rivers and Lake Michigan.

Why it matters: Candidates framed economic development as tied to housing, resident retention and the city’s downtown vitality. All three said attracting businesses that offer health insurance, retirement and year‑round work is necessary to keep people in their 20s and 30s from leaving. Several recommended targeted, low‑cost steps the city could take immediately to make Two Rivers more attractive to business investment.

Tim (candidate) said the priority should be durable jobs rather than seasonal or purely service positions, stressing compensation and…