Open for Business Has to Include the Businesses Already Here

If Erin is “Open for Business,” that must include the businesses already here.

A Community Improvement Plan (CIP) is a municipal planning tool that allows Council to offer financial incentives—such as grants, loans, or tax assistance—to encourage development, redevelopment, and investment in specific areas of the community.

I support attracting new businesses, filling vacant spaces, and creating jobs. Our updated Community Improvement Plan (CIP) gives us tools to do that, including the Commercial Conversion Start-Up Grant—up to $20 per square foot, $7,500 per property, and $10,000 for priority sites.

These are good tools for growth. Council has adopted and recently updated the CIP to reflect higher anticipated growth in upcoming businesses and development activity. While I support that direction, my focus will always be on ensuring existing businesses are supported as well.

But supporting new business cannot come at the expense of those already established here.

Our existing businesses have paid taxes, created jobs, sponsored local events, and supported our community for years—some for decades. They need investment too.

It’s important to understand: having a program in the CIP is not the same as funding it. The CIP enables incentives, but Council decides what gets funded through the budget.

That’s where priorities matter.

I would advocate for Council to fund CIP programs in a way that doesn’t focus only on attracting new businesses, but also on retaining and strengthening existing ones.

Economic development isn’t just about new arrivals—it’s about helping long-standing businesses survive, expand, improve accessibility, and upgrade their spaces. It’s also about ensuring they know these programs exist and can access them.

“Open for Business” shouldn’t only mean tomorrow’s businesses.

It starts with the ones that opened their doors today.

We need both.

Attracting new businesses matters. So does keeping the ones we already have.

The CIP gives us the tools.

Council decides whether we use them.

I will advocate for funding that supports both growth and retention—because keeping strong local businesses is economic development too.