New Non-Partisan Association (NPA) councillor George Affleck plans to use his council seat to push for improving Vancouver’s business attractiveness, he recently told Business in Vancouver.
“I’m a business owner, so my approach is, ‘What’s making Vancouver more attractive for business?’” said Affleck, who is president and CEO of Curve Communications.
He said small businesses are particularly crucial to Vancouver’s growth.
“To me, small business is big business. If we can attract 1,000 companies with 20 staff, we can add 20,000 employees to this town.”
Affleck said he will be pushing for more pro-business property tax reform, among other things.
Affleck questioned Mayor Gregor Robertson’s record on keeping businesses in town.
“Our own current mayor, as I’ve said publicly – the company of which he is a shareholder and founded [Happy Planet] – left Vancouver,” he said.
“That’s atrocious and unfortunate. And he, of course, defends it for various reasons, but it’s not really a very good image for us to have a guy whose own business left town. I moved my office and I stayed in Vancouver – I found a way to do it.”
See next week’s edition of Business in Vancouver for Affleck’s and NPA councillor Elizabeth Ball’s pro-business plans while on council.
Jenny Wagler
@JennyWagler_BIV