THE BUSINESS PLAN

MOVING THE ECONOMY FORWARD

We Need to Take Action to Draw Investment In Our City and Provide Tools For Vaughan Businesses To Grow and Flourish:

THE PROBLEM


  • Ontario’s economy is not as strong as it once was.
  • Businesses throughout Ontario, including in Vaughan, are feeling stretched by increased regulation and costs.
  • While Vaughan’s economy remains strong, we need to take steps today to ensure a strong economy tomorrow.

    • THE SOLUTION


  • We need to draw investment in our City by taking proactive steps to encourage investment.
  • Smart regulation of Vaughan businesses is necessary to protect Vaughan residents but it shouldn’t unnecessarily stand in the way of progress. We need to streamline business licensing and permitting process and take further actions to cut the time businesses need to spend navigating through City regulations.
  • Supporting Vaughan businesses is a no brainer – it creates jobs for residents and income for the City. It reduces traffic by shortening drive times to and from work, and it increases the quality of life for residents.

    • GETTING THINGS DONE (Accomplishments 2014-2018):

    I am proud of our accomplishments over the past 4-years to address The Economic Problem.

  • 3.5% economic growth in Vaughan (outpaces Canada and the Province);
  • Vaughan ranked #1 as Canada’s Top Most Lucrative Markets (PROFITguide);
  • Currently has more than 11,940 business that employ more than 218,000 people; and,
  • Named one of the best places for business in Canada (Canadian Business and PROFIT).

    • If Elected I Will to Continue to Implement My 5-Point BUSINESS PLAN:

    1. DRAW INVESTMENT TO OUR CITY.

    Vaughan has thousands of acres planned for commercial and industrial investment. We need to do more to draw investment to Vaughan and to ensure that the businesses we attract match the skills of our workforce. Vaughan currently has policies in place to market itself locally and internationally as a City to invest in - but we need to do more. We can’t just sit back and wait for businesses to come to us. Rather, we need to continuously seek out businesses and draw them to Vaughan.

    If elected I will continue my work toward the Invest-In-Vaughan Panel that will bring together a group of Vaughan business leaders, members of the Chamber of Commerce, and the best and brightest members of Vaughan’s staff with a mandate to seek out and secure investment in Vaughan. The Invest-In-Vaughan Panel will use its star power to attract investment in the City and provide a business persons perspective on the actions the City should be taking to attract investment. Vaughan’s business leaders experience the best practices across municipalities and throughout the word – I believe this fresh business perspective will assist in ensuring the Vaughan’s economy flourishes into the future.

    2. KEEP TAXES LOW

    Vaughan has one of the lowest corporate and industrial property tax rates in the GTA. This gives Vaughan a huge competitive advantage. If elected I will continue to take the steps outlined in my Tax Plan to ensure that the City can continue this competitive advantage without sacrificing the quality of needed services that the City provides. I will not support tax increase above 3%, but I will support and take proactive steps towards finding efficiencies.

    3. CUT RED TAPE. GET RID OF UNNECESSARY REGULATION AND MAKE IT EASIER FOR BUSINESSES TO DO BUSINESS IN VAUGHAN.

    We need to continue to make it easier for businesses to call Vaughan home. We need to let businesses focus on pleasing their customers rather than on paperwork and red tape. While smart regulation of businesses in Vaughan is critical to protect Vaughan residents, the City’s rules should not stand in the way of new investment, stifle the number of jobs in the City, or hurt existing businesses. If elected, I will continue to bring balance to business regulation in Vaughan. I will continue to work to get rid of unnecessary rules and focus on streamlining business licensing and permitting.

    4. CREATE A ONE WINDOW APPROACH FOR VAUGHAN BUSINESSES.

    Vaughan businesses and potential investors in Vaughan shouldn’t have to go from department to department to work though City red tape. If elected, I will continue to work toward creating a one stop shop for Vaughan businesses to do business with the City. Businesses will be able to go to this single point of contact to get the assistance they need and to be guided through the process. This one window approach will cut the time businesses spend navigating City rules and will result in efficiencies for the City as well.

    5. INCREASED SERVICES FOR VAUGHAN BUSINESSES LOOKING TO EXPAND.

    If elected I will continue to work with Vaughan businesses to ensure that we are providing the assistance they need to expand and flourish. The first step is keeping taxes low, cutting the red tape, and creating a one window approach for Vaughan Businesses. The next step is to offer services and incentives to help businesses expand and create more jobs.