A stronger economy. Better jobs. A broader tax base. A more affordable Victoria.
Victoria cannot rely indefinitely on property tax increases to meet rising costs. A more sustainable path is to grow the city economy, raise household incomes, attract investment and broaden the tax base. Economic growth provides the resources needed for public safety, infrastructure, housing, parks and community services.
Victoria already has strong advantages: an educated workforce, respected colleges and universities, a globally recognized tourism sector, innovative businesses, attractive neighbourhoods and an exceptional quality of life. City Hall’s role is to remove unnecessary obstacles and create the conditions in which businesses and residents can succeed.
Long and uncertain approval processes increase costs and discourage investment. I will champion a single accountable process, published service standards, concurrent reviews, pre-application meetings and online application tracking. The target is to reduce median approval times by at least 50%, process routine business applications within 30 days and decide qualifying development applications within 90 days. Faster decisions must not mean lower safety, environmental or building standards.
Small businesses create jobs, animate neighbourhoods and help finance municipal services. Victoria should provide a Business Concierge service, a plain-language guide to licences and permits, a coordinated digital portal and faster approvals for businesses moving into vacant storefronts. Regular discussions with business owners across all 12 neighbourhoods would identify problems early and keep municipal services practical and responsive.
Downtown remains the region’s economic heart, but recovery requires coordinated action: cleaner and safer streets, visible community safety teams, rapid graffiti and garbage removal, better lighting, occupied storefronts, more downtown housing and balanced access by transit, walking, cycling and vehicles. Neighbourhood business districts also need attention to cleanliness, accessibility, deliveries, short-term parking and local events. A public scorecard should track storefront occupancy and progress toward reducing downtown commercial vacancy below 6%.
Victoria should focus on sectors where it already has talent and natural advantages, including technology, ocean and marine industries, clean energy, life sciences, tourism, arts and culture, professional services and construction innovation. A senior business development function should prepare an investment prospectus, maintain an inventory of available sites and give prospective investors one confidential point of contact. Success must be measured by investment secured and jobs created, not meetings held.
Employers cannot expand if workers cannot afford to live near their jobs. Faster approval of rental, co-operative, non-profit, workforce and middle-sized housing must be connected to infrastructure and transportation planning. The City should also work with colleges, unions and employers on construction skills, entrepreneurship, business succession and training that responds to real workforce needs.
Victoria should publish an Economic Prosperity Dashboard that tracks permit times, new business formation, commercial vacancies, investment, employment, household incomes and resident and business satisfaction. Each initiative should have a responsible leader, a deadline, an approved budget and measurable outcomes. Programs that are not producing results should be changed or ended.
A practical path forward
In the first 100 days, Council should publish existing permit performance, begin the approval process review, consult businesses across Victoria and select the dashboard indicators. During the first year, the City should adopt service standards, launch the business portal and application tracker, publish an investment prospectus and begin public reporting on downtown recovery and economic prosperity.
One councillor cannot deliver this plan alone. I will champion it, build support for practical actions and insist on accountability. Victoria cannot tax its way to prosperity. It must grow its way to a stronger future.
Grow the city economy. Raise incomes. Lower unnecessary costs. Deliver results that matter.