Affordability: Real Economic Development

Oak Park's business community is a huge part of what makes Oak Park special. We have a wide array of unique, diverse businesses, and a number a thriving local commercial districts that are key to the character of Oak Park.

Our business community contributes significantly to our village revenues via sales taxes, and other business related fees and taxes. The more we can grow our local business community, the less our village relies on property taxes.

Economic growth also provides local jobs, and if done right makes Oak Park a regional destination, bringing outside dollars into the community. I'm all in on Oak Park economic development. I want to see our small local business community grow and thrive.

I'll work with Village Staff to implement a comprehensive economic vitality plan that addresses the needs of our small businesses and our diverse business districts. I'll work with the Oak Park River Forest Chamber of commerce as it implements its new strategic plan, promoting small business entrepreneurship and providing mentorship to the local business community.

We should work with the Chamber to create events and street fairs that get people out and introduce them to our various business districts. Downtown is well covered, but we need more such events, and should look to host 'destination' events that bring people in from outside the community and introduce them to Oak Park.

We need to do more to provide local sources of capital for business finance. Those small local banks that used to fund local businesses are gone. We can work with the banking community that remains to fill that gap through outreach and relationship building.

I will also look for permitting and approval simplifications and efficiencies. Every month a business waits to open is a large hit to working capital with the rents in Oak Park.