NORTH SMITHFIELD — Town Administrator candidate Paul Jones has pledged to utilize his experience as a small business owner to benefit the town of North Smithfield.
“Our town is a magnet for innovators. We need to protect that unique character of our community and embrace smart business development policies,” said Jones, who notes he is the only candidate in the town administrator race who is also a business owner.
Jones’ proposals include improving communication between the residential and business communities of North Smithfield by hosting barrier-breaking Economic Development Summits. He said the summits would be hosted quarterly and offer information for residents about upcoming business development; highlight new and established business owners; offer job fairs, and create local networking opportunities.
Jones also recommends the town hire a Development & Grants officer who can identify and pursue grant opportunities for North Smithfield and offer local entrepreneurs guidance on navigating permitting and regulation.
Finally, Jones has proposed introducing a Business Diversity Ordinance.
“BDOs are in use across the country to prevent the unique footprint of a community from being irreparably altered. We can adopt a BDO to help give small businesses a fighting chance as they recover from COVID,” Jones said. “Our economy is built on small business and local entrepreneurs, and these are the engines which will encourage rapid job growth and a quicker post-pandemic recovery.”
Jones is on the School Committee and owns a senior care referral and placement business. He lives in North Smithfield with his wife Brittney (Savard) and their daughter. More information about Jones’ platform can be found at www.paul4northsmithfield.com.
The campaign also wants to remind residents that early voting at Town Hall is available Monday through Friday during business hours until Election Day. Call (401) 767-2200 to schedule your time to vote or go directly to Town Hall at 83 Greene St. during business hours.
“Make sure your voice is heard,” Jones said.
I asked Paul Jones on his political page where his small business is located and how many employees he has on the payroll. He did not answer either question. In my mind there is a big difference between being self employed and being a small business owner. Someone who works out of their home and has no other employees does not face the same challenges as the guy who leases space (office and manufacturing) and also has to generate enough revenue to fund a payroll every week.