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Candidates propose grants, fee waivers and permitting tech to help Mason small businesses
Summary
At the candidate forum, candidates highlighted workforce shortages and regulatory complexity as top business concerns and proposed targeted grants, permit-fee relief, TIF tools and streamlined permitting to help small businesses.
Candidates at the Mason City Council forum said workforce shortages and regulatory complexity are among the biggest obstacles for local small businesses and described several ways council and city staff can respond.
The forum opened with the Mason Chamber's 2025 business survey, which the moderator said showed 72% of respondents identified workforce shortages as a major concern, 65% sought improved access to funding, 58% cited regulatory complexity and 54% wanted stronger government-business collaboration.
Candidates proposed a mix of budget priorities and programs to address those concerns: targeted low-interest loans or grants, fee waivers for permits, storefront-improvement matching programs and performance-based…
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