Issue Position: Economic Development and Job Creation

Issue Position

Focus on removing barriers to job creation

As Chairman of the Williamsburg Economic Development Authority I have worked with my volunteer colleagues to address existing regulations that prohibited economic growth. We have worked with other groups like the Planning Commission to adjust and adapt rules in place to try to promote small business. We like to say that we can't guarantee that a small business will survive, but we can do everything we can to lower the barriers to entry and help give them the opportunity to succeed.

Diversify our local economy

We must take advantage of the highly trained workers around the shipyard, those leaving the military, and the intellectual capital from our Colleges and Universities to drive job growth. I believe that this area is not just a great place to visit, but a great place to live and work. We must work closely as a region to attract and grow our job base.

Drive and grow our tourist industry

Tourism is a dominant driver of the areas tax base, job base, and people's livelihood. We have seen a steady decline in tourist numbers over the last number of years. We need to work closely with the state department of tourism and market our area broadly.

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