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Gilroy council pivots to economic development, signals likely new director in upcoming budget
Summary
At a May 5 strategic-planning session the Gilroy City Council pressed staff to make economic development a top priority, endorsing measurable goals and signaling that a standalone economic development director may appear in the city manager’s budget proposal next week.
At a May 5 special strategic planning session, the Gilroy City Council centered discussion on economic development and what council members described as the “how” of implementation, including a likely new economic development director and measurable, revenue-focused goals.
The council’s economic-development discussion was led by Victoria Valencia, the city’s economic development manager, who reviewed a set of seven council-adopted guiding principles she said should frame incentives and outreach. “They are focused on revenue enhancing economic development, evaluating return on investment and community benefit, recognizing incentives are catalysts, promoting a can-do mindset for economic development, using data for insight and expanding accessibility, being visionary, and sustainability in viability,” Valencia said.
Why it matters: Council members repeatedly tied economic development to the city’s ability to pay for services, citing public…
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