Now that the Hollister City Council managed to put off a year of
budget cuts, it’s is time for the city to throw itself into the
hard work of increasing revenue that will allow it to maintain, if
not improve, services in the coming year. That means a focused
effort to increase economic development.
Now that the Hollister City Council managed to put off a year of budget cuts, it’s is time for the city to throw itself into the hard work of increasing revenue that will allow it to maintain, if not improve, services in the coming year. That means a focused effort to increase economic development.
The city managed to pull itself even this year by selling the old Fremont School and Fire Station No. 1 to its own redevelopment agency for $3.2 million and using a one-time payment it received. But, as Mayor Pauline Valdivia rightly noted, this is a one-time fix. That’s because the city did the equivalent of transferring money within it’s own bank accounts to balance the books. Similar options won’t exist next year.
While spending redevelopment money to bailout the budget this year is not ideal, we will support it if the City Council uses the time it bought to create a viable economic development plan for Hollister. The other options to balance the budget next time are much less savory: Asking voters to pass a tax, dipping into reserves or cutting city services.
In an encouraging sign that the city is taking the issue seriously, the City Council met Monday to discuss its priorities for economic development. We hope it is the first of many such meetings this year.
This effort should have a tight focus and a short time frame to create concrete proposals to boost the local economy in the short and long term.
We have a few suggestions on where to begin:
Use redevelopment funds to create an economic inventory of businesses we have and use the information to target compatible industries
Work with the county to create an economic incentive program that rewards the Economic Development Corporation for attracting businesses
n Look into economic incentives that will make Hollister attractive to businesses
Ask the Hollister Downtown Association and the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce to be active participants in the process
While there are fine examples of flourishing businesses in Hollister, the local economy – as talk of taxes and service cuts makes clear – is not where anyone wants it to be.
Council members are on the right path, and we encourage them in their efforts. Hollister needs a plan of action, and this is the year it must get done.
To comment on this issue, please send or bring letters to Editor, The Hollister Free Lance, 350 Sixth St., Hollister, Calif. 95023 or e-mail to [email protected].
