, ,  Austin Chamber of Commerce View All Reponses >>

One of the best ways to make Austin more affordable is to ensure we have a diverse set of industries which provide local, skilled and the hard-to-employ talent the opportunity to compete for jobs that have a career ladder. The Austin City Council is considering adopting a revised economic incentive policy, expanding the previous one-size-fits-all policy. If the Austin Chamber of Commerce presents a company that meets the criteria for an incentive as set by City Council policy, will you vote to support incentivizing jobs for both small operators and large in our city? How will you monitor success with the provision requiring employment of the hard-to-employ?

Bobby Levinski

City Council, District 8

In our current economic climate, I generally do not see the need for using taxpayer subsidies to recruit new businesses to Austin. I would prefer to invest in workforce development and supporting/retaining small, local businesses. That said, I will never shut my door or my mind to discussing opportunities that can benefit our residents, and I would welcome the opportunity to meet with the Austin Chamber of Commerce to discuss needed policies for our economic well-being. Another way to approach the same goal of getting employment for difficult-to-employ individuals is investing in workforce training programs that can expand opportunities.

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