City to study what businesses to bring to Suisun

From Daily Republic // March 4, 2006
By Ian Thompson

SUISUN CITY - The Suisun City Council is expected to OK a study Tuesday to figure out what kinds of retail businesses will want to locate in Suisun City.

This is the latest step in City Hall's campaign to re-energize the city's business recruitment program. The program was jump-started last year after the city council vowed to raise sales tax revenue.

City Manager Suzanne Bragdon and interim Redevelopment Agency Director Al da Silva want to hire the Braxton Company to put together a study laying out which retailers would most likely be interested in locating their businesses in Suisun City.

"We are trying to recruit more retail to Suisun City," da Silva said. "One, to increase the shopping opportunities in Suisun and, two, to increase our sales tax. It is no secret that Suisun needs a strong increase in its sales tax."

At present, Suisun City sales tax revenue is one-third that of similar-sized cities.

That lack of revenue has forced the city to cut back spending with measures that include closing City Hall one day of the week and not granting employee salary increases.Da Silva stated the study will allow Suisun City to figure out which types of retail businesses the city has the best chance to attract and how best to court them.

"This will allow us to knock on more doors," da Silva said.

The Redevelopment Agency and Bragdon has taken their sales pitch for bringing business to Suisun City to several trade shows last year "and we are going to do that again this year," da Silva said.

City Hall hopes to create a list of businesses that are likely to move here.

"We don't have the leads yet to generate a list, but these things take time," da Silva said.
The Suisun City Council meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Suisun City Council chamber at 701 Civic Center Blvd.

Reach Ian Thompson at 427-6976 or at ithompson@dailyrepublic.net.