We have a great University that’s training brilliant young and not get stuck in low-wage dead-end jobs.
minds…. [But] if they are interested in say, law or if they are
What are your
interested in fashion or design or any other numbers of dis-
We want living wage career ladder jobs, so we want to work
cipline--once they obtain that education, they can’t come
closely with our business community. Charlottesville was re-
back to Charlottesville because those kinds of jobs don’t ex-
cently named one of the best cities in the country to grow a
priorities for
ist in this City.
business and we feel like we have got more work to do to at-
tract the kind of jobs that are going to provide those living
I think that the City of Charlottesville should actively encour- wage career ladder opportunities.
economic
age different types of businesses to move in or expand the
tax base so that we don’t have to go to the General
Assembly begging for permission to raise the sales tax. That
development
Kristin Szakos (D)
also will give the young people in the Charlottesville sur-
rounding opportunities if they have the ambition, they have
Challenger
the motivation to continue their education that once they re- Green jobs - as part of the federal and state initiatives for
and workforce
ceived their degrees or their training and they want to stay in economic development through green technology and man-
the Charlottesville area. They will have a fair chance of get- ufacturing. I want to make sure that as we work to get jobs
ting a job in their field and be able to stay in the area. in the community, that they are jobs that provide a living
development in
wage. I think tourism is wonderful and I love living in a place
that people want to come and visit. But tourism itself often
Dave Norris (D)
Charlottesville?
generates only jobs that are relatively low wage….
Incumbent
So I would like to see light industry, I would like to see a
In terms of economic development, we want to continue to concentration of locally owned businesses. I am not really
focus on development of our commercial corridors. for pulling in things like chain stores or, you know, franchises
Downtown Mall--we have invested about six million dollars at [that are] are locally owned…I think that we really need to
the request of our Downtown business community. About six sustain our local businesses. And I think that that includes
million dollars in renovations to the Mall, both with a new helping local businesses that exist, not just new ones, but
brick surface but also new lighting and there’s a new wi-fi actually figuring out ways that we can make this a good
system down there, there’s new benches, there’s new granite place to do business, for local businesses. Because a dollar
Bob Fenwick (I)
banding, there’s some new trees, it is a total overhaul of the spent in the locally owned business stays in the community
Challenger Downtown Mall infrastructure. That was a major economic a lot longer than a dollar spent on a national chain or an in-
investment that’s going to pay off we feel in over many years ternational chain.
Well, “economic development” and “workforce development”
to come.
are terms that planners and politicians use. Everyday people So I also think that, around a lot of universities there are
simply say “jobs.” There is not a job in this area that some- We want to see West Main Street--the pace of development spin-off industries around some of intellectual work that
one can’t learn to do either through school, mentoring or on there pick up because there’s still a lot of empty store fronts goes at the university [in] research and development. And
the job training. When I hired men and women in my con- on West Main Street. There’s still too many empty store fronts there is not as much of that here as I would like to see.
struction contracting business it wasn’t so much what they Downtown. We want to see some of our other commercial There are ways that the University can help build that. There
knew that mattered. It was their attitude, their willingness to [areas]--Cherry Avenue, Preston Avenue. Again, that’s in terms are ways that the City can help do that, and the County. And
work and learn while they worked, and showing up when of economic development, that’s a priority for me. I would like to see us work harder to try to do that, because
they were supposed to that mattered most. we have a great resource in the university and a lot of great
I was in a meeting last week or two weeks ago in DC where
minds thinking great thoughts and I would like to kind of in-
“Economic development” and “workforce development” focus there was a lot of conversation about green jobs and about
corporate that into our economy….
on jobs and jobs depend on a pro-business attitude from how we retool our manufacturing sector in this country to
city government. I believe a level playing field for all employ- take advantage of some of these new investments that are
ers, no matter how many employees they have, even if the coming down the pike in terms of clean energy, renewable
boss is the only employee in the business, is the best tonic energy, energy efficiency etc….We have been hemorrhaging
Andrew Williams (I)
for Charlottesville. If a large employer came into the city the manufacturing drops by the thousands in this region in the
Challenger (Write-in)
planners and politicians would fall all over themselves to last decade and are there any opportunities to bring some
Economic development -- I would like to see it balanced
provide bonds, tax breaks, incentives, these kinds of things. green jobs, remanufacturing kind of jobs here at
across the board, meaning across all 8 precincts. Workforce
If the City really had a pro-business attitude it would do the Charlottesville, take advantage of this new green energy
development, making sure that existing infrastructures, exist-
same for the small businesses…. economy. That’s a major part of our economic development.
ing initiatives oriented around workforce development,
In terms of workforce development it’s been an area of inter-
whether it be businesses, whether it be incentives for busi-
Paul Long (I)
est for the City primarily because, again we have too many
nesses, [we] should carefully monitor all those elements
Challenger
of our families living in poverty or just above the poverty line.
around workforce development and figure out how to con-
Depending on how you read the statistics, it’s anywhere from
tribute to ultimately a stronger system, a stronger infrastruc-
I would like to see the City of Charlottesville reinvent itself. 10% to 15% to 20%, 25% of our citizens living below the
ture. The more people work, the more jobs [that are] available
Charlottesville is a great city and I have great respect for the poverty line. We know there’s many children in our schools
the more money is going to be spent in the local economy.
University of Virginia…but I think the City of Charlottesville that are living below the poverty line. The best avenue out of
should be more than just the University of the Virginia. I see poverty is a good job and the best way for people to get
the whole warehouse district, I guess that’s south of the jobs is: a) make sure they stay in school and graduate from
Downtown Mall--I would like to see the City of Charlottesville school and have a good educational background; but b)
actively encourage businesses to move in the City and I am make sure they have access to training workforce develop-
talking about fortune 500 companies moving into the City. ment kind of opportunities to be able to climb the ladder
8