For $250K, Marin Taxpayers Deserve an Action Plan, Not Another Report
On June 9, the Marin County Board of Supervisors awarded a $250,000 contract to BAM Consulting Inc and Strategic Economics.
What do you think?
Marin County is spending $250,000 on two consulting firms to write an Economic Vitality Strategic Plan. But a fair question is: what exactly are taxpayers buying?
The County says the plan will be a “roadmap” with measurable outcomes and implementation steps. Yet the announcement mostly describes meetings, advisory committees, technical analysis, and a future report (you can read the county’s new release below).
Marin County could have saved $250,000 right now and start helping the economy today.
Marin County is spending $250,000 on two consulting firms to write a new Economic Vitality Strategic Plan (they did this 2022 as well). The County also says it is still recruiting for a permanent Economic Vitality Manager, meaning taxpayers may be paying for both the consultant report and the ongoing cost of a new county position.
So here is the fair question:
What are taxpayers actually buying?
The County says the plan will include data, public input, advisory committees, measurable outcomes, and an implementation roadmap. That sounds useful. But much of it also sounds like process: meetings, interviews, surveys, committees, analysis, drafts, and a final report.
Instead of spending $250,000 to be told what Marin already knows, here are ideas the County could start now:
1. Create a small-business permit fast lane
Pick common business permits and set public deadlines:
tenant improvements
signs
parklets
outdoor dining
pop-up retail
temporary events
change-of-use approvals
Then publish a simple dashboard showing approval times, backlog, and missed deadlines.
That helps businesses immediately.
2. Launch a vacant storefront program
Work with cities, landlords, chambers, and local business owners to identify empty storefronts and fill them.
Start with:
public list of vacant spaces
temporary pop-up permits
local maker and food vendor events
small facade and signage grants
landlord outreach
monthly reporting by city
Empty storefronts do not need another study. They need tenants.
3. Build a local hiring pipeline
Connect Marin employers with College of Marin, high schools, trades, health care, hospitality, agriculture, and small businesses.
Track real numbers:
internships created
apprenticeships created
local hires placed
employers participating
jobs retained in Marin
That is economic vitality people can see.
The issue is not whether Marin needs a stronger economy. Of course it does.
The issue is whether taxpayers need to spend $250,000 on consultants before the County takes basic action.
If the final product is a glossy PDF full of phrases like “regional coordination,” “shared identity,” “vibrant places,” and “talent retention,” then taxpayers did not get value.
For $250,000, Marin should get more than a report.
It should get:
specific projects
named owners
deadlines
cost estimates
funding sources
expected economic impact
public dashboards
annual progress reporting
The County could save the $250,000, avoid adding more overhead, and start with three simple actions now: speed up permits, fill empty storefronts, and connect local people to local jobs.
That would be a real economic vitality plan.
Marin's Economic Vitality page
Independent summaries and commentary based on public records and government meeting materials. Not affiliated with any government agency. Readers should review original source documents before relying on any information presented here.