Walking The Talk

I had a great conversation this morning with a former Lakewood business owner.

He talked about how elected and City officials could improve their relations with business owners. 

“They like to talk the talk, but they don’t always walk the talk,” he said.

As an owner of a small business for a number of years, this person spoke to me about some of his frustrations – some of which other business owners have related to me.

Examples?

Code inspections must be consistent.

“One inspector says one thing one time; another inspector says another thing the next time.  I had no clear sense of what was expected.”

Or the ordinance on the proper signage businesses  can use as advertising.

“Sometimes it seems like the ordinance on signage is enforced; sometimes it seems that it isn’t.  One business has signage out and doesn’t get penalized; another has the same kind of signage and gets penalized,” he continued.

He paused for a minute and then added, “Don’t the officials realize that with tasteful signage small business makes more money that the city collects in sales tax revenue?”

He is far from alone in that thought. 

Other business owners – especially those whose enterprises are set back off a road - have consistently made this point to me.

As I thought about what I had heard, it occurred to me that business owners – the brick and mortar folks who are the economic backbone of this community – should expect consistent enforcement of ordinances and a sense of support from their elected officials.

“A lot of these folks like to talk the talk, but they don’t walk the walk,” he said as he got up to go to work.

I think he has a valid point.

I believe there should be a clear line of consistency between thought and action.  I think business owners need to know that what the city says and what its elected officials say will in fact be what they do.

Such consistency raises the level of respect and value needed for Lakewood to continue to prosper.

My wife and I are new business owners who have first-hand knowledge of some of what I’ve heard from other business owners.

If I earn the privilege of serving on the Lakewood City Council, I will “walk the talk” in pursing economic development and appreciating Lakewood’s businesses.