Mayoral candidate Walt Cobb is slowly taking his election platform to the street.
On Monday Cobb released his economic plan addressing ideas for economic growth, taxation, fostering relations with industry, business and other levels of government and removing red tape and bureaucracy at city hall.
Cobb suggests that he would evaluate the role of the City’s economic development corporation. He noted he would consider restarting an economic commission.
In terms of actual economic development, Cobb said the needs of existing industries should be addressed first.
“Because they would be the ones most likely that you could look to to expand or encourage expansion or diversification.”
What might follow could be the attraction of new industry and a growth in services that support those industries. At that point, Cobb said, economic development organizations can play a role in determining what services industries require, and if they require ones that aren’t located in Williams Lake those can be brought to the community.
Cobb further promoted the idea of “fair” taxation, noting it should be based on a mill rate rather than the classes assuming a percentage of the overall tax burden.
Municipal government, he said, should be “proactive” in lobbying the provincial and federal governments on projects developed in the region as well as supportive of private industry. Cobb supports the development of retail business but added it is secondary to the jobs created through resource extraction and other industries.