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Gilroy council frames economic development as top lever for revenue during strategic planning workshop
Summary
At a strategic planning workshop, council members said economic development should be prioritized to produce revenue for public safety, staffing and capital projects. Suggestions included a dedicated economic development team, developer roundtables, incentives to attract investment and gateway beautification.
Gilroy council members told staff during a strategic planning workshop that economic development must be a top priority if the city is to generate the revenue needed to address public-safety staffing shortfalls and aging infrastructure.
Council Member Kelly Remez said Measure C’s failure means the city must “look at, really putting an emphasis on economic development” to increase local revenues that would support public safety and other demands. Several other council members and staff outlined programs and tools — from a permanent economic development team to targeted incentives and a developers’ roundtable — intended to speed investment and job creation.
Council members and the city administrator discussed a range of possible incentives, including impact-fee deferrals, limited fee rebates and short-term sales-tax-sharing arrangements to make major projects financially viable during their early years. City Administrator Jimmy said officials routinely consider "impact fees, credits, sales tax sharing" and other incentives when courting large retailers or projects, and noted those tools are policy choices for the council.
Council members emphasized that economic development work should be coordinated with planning and community-development functions. Council Member Hilton urged a return of a monthly developers’ roundtable hosted by staff, saying it can accelerate projects by improving city–developer communication. Council Member Fugazi and others pressed for measurable goals and public transparency on outcomes.
Council members also discussed gateway beautification, code enforcement and regular maintenance as essential to changing perceptions and encouraging investment. Several members said visible cleanliness and upkeep at freeway entrances and other gateways are a low-cost way to improve first impressions for visitors and potential investors.
No formal action was taken; the workshop was an information and direction-gathering session and staff said it will return with budget and program options for council consideration.
