The following is my statement that I made on October 4th, 2022, at the Aurora Chamber of Commerce Meet the Candidates event.
“It is a great pleasure to be here.
A quick thank you to the The Aurora Chamber of Commerce for hosting this zoom event and the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board for sponsoring.
My name is Anna Lozyk Romeo and I am running to be the next Mayor of Aurora.
Today I will try to present a brief version of my economic growth platform.
Let me start with this. It’s time for Aurora to take a strategic approach to grow our local economy.
To strengthen our economic growth, we obviously need more local jobs.
I would like to focus on a plan to attract high-tech or green-tech industries including design, manufacturing and assembly. Those industries drive strong supply chains increasing local business-to-business activity.
Frankly, this is not a new concept to Aurora, it’s just time to re-focus on the industries of the future. Especially now, with many opportunities at the emerging business park in the east end of Aurora.
Many local residents would benefit from working close to home. Helping youth to get hands-on experience. Or helping our local hotels to thrive.
It’s clear that a bedroom community contributes very little to the local economy.
Economic growth is not just about attracting new businesses but also maintaining an environment where they can thrive. That is why it’s critical that the Town performs economic impact studies before implementing new mandatory programs or partnerships.
In conclusion I see the need for a strategic collaboration between the Town’s Policy Planning and Economic Development, Aurora Economic Development Corporation, Aurora Chambers of Commerce, Business Improvement Area and Cultural Partners.
We need to work together to identify effective economic drivers to make our community stronger and more resilient.