Anthony Foxx for Charlotte Mayor : Economic Development

Jobs and the Economy

“The city’s job is to create conditions for job growth as well as better quality of life for all its citizens.”

Jobs and the Economy. From his first days on the City Council, Anthony Foxx has demonstrated the visionary leadership we need to strengthen and diversify Charlotte’s economy. Anthony championed the creation of an expanded economic development strategy, fought to increase support for small businesses, backed fiscally responsible incentives to companies that would create jobs in Charlotte and worked to make our city competitive jobs of the future.

As Charlotte faces its greatest economic challenges in decades, we need a mayor who has the leadership, experience and vision to lead Charlotte into a brighter tomorrow. Anthony Foxx has proven that his vision of economic development produces results for Charlotte, and he knows from personal experience that our future depends on the overall health of our economy, our neighborhoods and our relationships with regional, state and federal partners.

The Record:

Anthony Foxx has a strong record of working effectively to create more economic opportunity and jobs for Charlotte.

Expanding our economic development strategy. For decades, the city’s economic development strategy focused almost exclusively on the Center City. Anthony urged the City Council to shift to a balanced focus that includes more neighborhoods. He led the creation and implementation of a broad community economic development strategy that is leveraging private investment to transform Beatties Ford Road, Rozzelles Ferry Road, Bryant Park/Freedom Drive, Eastland Mall and North Tryon Street. The Greenway Business Center, for example, is transforming a once blighted series of vacant lots on Rozzelle’s Ferry Road into a center for employment and recreation. This Business Corridor Revitalization Plan is simultaneously growing Charlotte’s tax base, minimizing sprawl, improving quality of life and diversifying our economy.
Strengthening and expanding opportunities for small businesses. As a City Council member, Anthony has a strong record of fighting for greater use of small businesses in city contracts and transactions. He also voted to expand city efforts to help small businesses.
Backing incentive grants to expand job growth in larger employers. Anthony has strongly supported incentive grants where appropriate to encourage job creation in Charlotte, including recent incentives to lure GMAC and Siemens.
Working to create jobs in a crucial emerging industry. Anthony has pushed for city-led environmental improvements that grow demand for green jobs in Charlotte. He cast the lone vote in favor of making the NASCAR Hall of Fame a green building and led the charge to promote a reduction in city greenhouse gas emissions.
Supporting other creative efforts to diversify our economy. Anthony has supported efforts to bring prospective television and film projects to Charlotte and expand area amateur sports programs.
Reaching out to other layers of government to promote pro-Charlotte projects. Anthony recently met with Charlotte’s U.S. Congressional delegation to identify available federal stimulus money to help fund vital area transportation projects – which will create new jobs in the process – and continues to explore other ways to use stimulus money to create new employment opportunities in Charlotte and keep existing jobs here.
Pushing for smart growth. As a City Council member, Anthony stood up to development that threatens to overcrowd our schools or overwhelm our roads. He understands the critical connections between schools, roads, development and environmental health and supports sensible, long-term growth strategies
Standing strong for local women and minority owned small businesses seeking opportunities with the City of Charlotte. Anthony fought for local firms to be involved in the NASCAR museum’s construction and operation. “I want to see us maximize local firm usage – minority firms as well as majority firms – so the maximum impact can be felt here in our community.”
Expanding job training. Anthony knows the importance of job training in a transitioning economy. He’s fought to support training programs that teach local workers valuable skills in high-growth industries and to expand Charlotte’s youth employment program.

The Vision:

As mayor, Anthony Foxx will continue to insist on both short- and long-term strategies to grow jobs and business investment in Charlotte. He will push to diversify our economy by concentrating on clean energy, biotechnology and small businesses growth, while also focusing on growth and retention of large employers:

Strengthening our commitment to the new community economic development strategy. Anthony will continue to work to leverage private sector investment to create jobs, needed goods and services and tax-base expansion in some of our most challenged areas. Creative collaborations with area financial institutions and venture capitalists will promote economic development in these areas and benefit the collaborators. In addition, a portion of this new job growth will be in the emerging industries that will help diversify our economy.
Expanding city use and support of small businesses. Anthony will provide real advocacy for small businesses by: (1) increasing small business utilization and growth through the city’s Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Program by initiating a comprehensive stakeholder review of the SBE program, expanding the use of SBEs in city contracts greater than $200,000 and reducing red-tape in the certification process; (2) partnering with other agencies to create a one-stop resource center for small and medium-sized businesses; (3) expanding the city small business loan program to help support start-up loans for transitioning Charlotte workers who participate in the state-initiated JobsNow.
Faster permitting. Anthony will reduce the red tape involved in the permitting process. He will also extend the life of building and master use permits to give developers more time to finish projects without added paperwork.
Increasing jobs through recruitment and incentives. Anthony will actively recruit and push for incentives to bring new corporate headquarters to Charlotte, expand existing operations and create smart new manufacturing facilities.
Recruiting clean energy, biotechnology and other emerging industries. To diversify our economy and bring it into the 21st century, Anthony will expand recruitment of emerging industries like clean energy, biotechnology, film and amateur sports.
Creating jobs through public works projects. Anthony will push to accelerate city projects that create jobs while improving our city. Anthony will also promote green jobs by implementing city policies that promote environmental stewardship -- purchasing more green vehicles in the city fleet, building green city buildings and accelerating public transit plans.
Promoting entrepreneurship. Anthony will work to create a city-backed loan pool to promote entrepreneurship for displaced workers, and will organize an annual conference to bring together venture capitalists and new or emerging businesses. He will also foster partnerships between universities, non-profits and entrepreneurs to create incubator space for start-up companies.
Working across governmental lines. Anthony is a strong believer in regionalism and realizes that working across governmental boundaries will make the Charlotte region even more attractive as a corporate headquarters location. He plans to partner with state leaders to expand incentives available at the state and local level to recruit new jobs to Charlotte. In addition, Anthony plans to found a regional coalition of mayors to increase cooperation on economic development, air quality improvements, transportation advocacy and land use strategies.
Strengthen workforce development and retraining programs. Anthony will work to sponsor job retraining programs to help Charlotte workers at all levels who have been displaced by the economic crisis to find new jobs.
Forming an Economic Development Cabinet. Anthony knows the high level of business talent in our community. By forming an Economic Development Cabinet, he will harness that talent to originate new ideas for diversifying our economy, creating jobs, and promoting sustainable development. These new ideas will form the basis of long-term strategies for Charlotte to prosper far into our One Future.
Lower taxes without compromising service delivery. Anthony believes that government must be both efficient and effective, a compromise in either direction would lead us down the wrong path. Anthony will convene a citizens task force to undergo a zero-based review of the city budget with goal of lowering your tax burden and improving effectiveness.