The increase comes in the form of a heavier weight for local businesses when the city reviews RFPs for city contracts. On the city’s standard scale of 0 to 100, being a Huntington Beach business will now be worth 5 points instead of 1.
Additionally, since the city’s single largest source of sales tax is car sales, the Council also approved incentives for purchasing cars in the city. The city will now provide free parking permits for local car dealerships, which they can pass onto consumers when they purchase vehicles.
These are just two ways that local governments have helped alleviate economic problems in recent years.
From the Huntington Beach Independent:
In an effort to boost the local economy, the Huntington Beach City Council on Monday night voted to increase local vendors and businesses’ chances of getting selected by the city for services and commodities.
The city increased the criteria for preference for local businesses from 1% to 5% and will now give 5 additional points on a 100-point scale to local professional service providers. The increase is expected to give businesses a better chance at being selected by the city for services and merchandize.
The increase also brings the city up to par with other cities’ policies, including Costa Mesa, Long Beach and Riverside, according to a city staff report.
Read the full article here.