Business and Economic Development
The local economy and business development are important to the long-term fiscal sustainability of Lethbridge.
What is fiscal sustainability?
It’s the concept that the municipal taxes generated in the City should be adequate to meet the city’s needs and provide services for the residents of the city for generations without overburdening those who live in the City, with high tax rates.
Creating a fiscally sustainable city is the only path forward to a prosperous future.
So how do we do that?
- Support local businesses.
When the City of Lethbridge puts projects out to tender (utilizing the private sector instead of completing the projects with City employees), local businesses should have priority over distant or international entities.
This ensures that local folks are looked at first for opportunities to work with the City to build their own community. This concept includes everything from using local construction companies and developers to build major public projects, to utilizing local vendors to provide beverages and snacks in the concessions of municipal venues. By offering these opportunities to local businesses where appropriate, we can ensure the longevity of local companies and keep our local money circulating in our local economy.
- Create more opportunities for local businesses to develop.
City Hall has a lot of work to do when it comes to cutting red tape for local start-ups, and ensuring they operate as a partner in business, not a barrier.
As a local business owner, City Hall became a major administrative barrier to the ability to set my business up promptly, needlessly costing us over $20,000 before we ever opened. We can do better for our local employers working hard to try and get their dreams off the ground.
- Support changes to the Land Use Bylaw.
The Land Use Bylaw is a document that will define how the city is designed and built for generations to come and deserves our utmost attention.
The LUB governs the use of every plot of land in the City. Ensuring this document is brought up to date can help solve our housing crisis, support small businesses, reduce traffic, and have lasting effects into the future. For example, by making it easier for right-sized commercial operations to set up in residential areas it is possible for more folks to try to set up local businesses at a lower cost.
- Attract industrial partners that bring long-term investment.
While focusing on local businesses is important, this does not mean the City can abandon international actors and partners wanting to set up shop or expand in Lethbridge - merely that a balance must be achieved.
For the past several years Lethbridge has helped international corporations like Cavendish set up massive projects in the area. These are great for employment and regional economic development, and the efforts are applauded; but they cannot be the only focus of the City.
- Further develop and support the Lethbridge Airport and the HWY 3 Twinning Project.
It is imperative to our success, not just as a city, but as an entire region, to further increase our ability to act as a freight and transportation hub.
We as a city are perfectly situated to be the “Gateway to Southern Alberta” as we are an easy drive to multiple UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Waterton National Park and surrounding communities, and we have become the Premier Agri-Food Corridor of Canada. Recognizing that we are a cross-roads community, we can capitalize on encouraging those who would normally be “just passing through” to stay and explore our bountiful City on their way.
A council that recognizes all of the potential of Lethbridge to grow and support local entrepreneurs, the local tourism economy, and the local transportation economy will be vital to the long-term fiscal sustainability of Lethbridge. Lethbridge City Council has an opportunity this election to become a true partner in the growing success of small businesses in Lethbridge.