As a small business owner himself, Gavin believes that small businesses are the engine by which our economy is powered, and it is the responsibility of local government to foster an environment where small businesses can thrive. Government red tape and regulation should never be a barrier to entry for aspiring small business owners, nor should it prevent any business in our community from growing and reaching its full potential.

Gavin understands the importance of having established rules and regulations to do business, but also recognizes that overburdensome red tape disincentivizes and discourages business growth. When existing and prospective businesses are burdened with complex, cumbersome, and costly regulations, this red tape fails to support our long-term goal of creating and sustaining an attractive environment where small businesses can thrive.

In an effort to further incentivize business growth and make it easier to do business in the Town, Gavin believes that the Town Council should reduce and simplify the Town’s permitting and regulatory requirements, and also revisit and re-evaluate the use of the recently imposed Economic Development Impact Fee. Simply put, Gavin believes that the government should get out of the way wherever possible and allow small businesses to thrive.

Gavin believes that no one knows more about running a small business than small business owners themselves – which is why Gavin, on his first day in office, will call on the Town Council to establish a Small Business Advisory Committee.

This committee will be tasked with providing the Town Council an assessment of the barriers and red tape that small business owners believe make it harder to do business in the Town. This committee will also be tasked with making recommendations regarding how the Town can improve their relations with existing and prospective small businesses, specifically as it relates to streamlining the permitting, licensing, and zoning process.