Patch asked each of the Delaware County candidates the same questions about their backgrounds and changes they would make if elected.

Here are the answers sent to us from Council Member Candidate Tom McGarrigle (R):

What background do you have that qualifies you to be on County Council?

I’m one of eight children and I lost my father when I was 12.  To help support my family, at the age of 21, I opened an auto repair shop in Sharon Hill.  I now own a small business in Springfield and recently celebrated my 31^st year in business.  I know the challenges facing our

I know from my experience as a small business owner what it is to make a payroll every week, I know that you can’t spend more money than you take in, I know that you don’t borrow money unless you need it, and I know that you have to live within your means.  That’s why, as a Springfield Township Commissioner, I never once voted for a tax increase and I always fought to keep taxes down. 

As a current member of County Council, my top priority has been job creation.  We need to continue the successes of the past few years, including the construction of the Philadelphia Union soccer stadium which has  brought hundreds of jobs to the county and the Sun Center Studios in Chester Township, where a major Hollywood film is now in pre-production. 

What changes would you make if elected?

Over the course of our campaign, we met with small business owners, union leaders, and local residents.  Our goal was to change the way we approach attracting businesses, promoting economic development, and supporting our small business job creators in Delaware County. We used the input and the feedback that we received to develop an economic plan for Delaware County designed to encourage new investment and job creation.

The plan includes:

• Creation of Transformation Zones to provide incentives to redevelop blighted and vacant commercial properties in the county’s older communities.
• Creation of a comprehensive economic development and jobs plan for 21st Century Delaware County; and
• Utilization of the Commerce Center as an Enterprise Center to provide support to new and growing small businesses in Delaware County.

The full plan is available for review on our website at www.delco2011.com under the “Issues” tab.

I know that navigating the complex maze of government small business programs, loans, regulations, permits, zoning, and economic incentive programs can be overwhelming to the average entrepreneur or small business owner.

That is why Colleen, John and I are proposing to utilize the Commerce Center as an Enterprise Zone for small business creation and development.  

Statistics show that small business has been the economic and job creation engine in our nation for many years.  And it will be small business that eventually leads us out of our current economic crisis.             

By encouraging the Commerce Center to serve as an enterprise center for small business, we can create “one stop shopping” for individuals who want to learn about starting a new business or financing opportunities, be introduced to local governments and their regulatory process and coordinate connecting new businesses with government and private programs that will assist their business creation and boost job growth.   A significant portion of county economy is based on our historical roots in manufacturing and refining.  It is time for county to take a step back from an economic perspective and develop the comprehensive economic plan outlined in our platform. 

What industries do we need to focus on attracting to provide a more well-rounded economy?  What are the major growth economic growth sectors and do we have an adequate number of businesses in those sectors?  Are we utilizing our assets –such as the waterfront and ports, our proximity to I-95 and the airport, our concentration of colleges and universities – to their fullest potential?  What can we do attract jobs in the short-term, and what is our vision for the county economy in 5 years, 10 years, 15 years from now?

These are all questions that we need to answer in the comprehensive plan that I want to develop over the course of the next 12 to 18 months, with significant input from our economic development experts, unions, business leaders, and local residents.  Let’s create a roadmap for where we want to lead our economy in the future.

Delaware County is a great place to live, to work, to raise a family, to run a business.  That didn’t happen by accident.  A lot of dedicated people worked very hard to make it that way.  If I am fortunate enough to be re-elected to Delaware County Council, I will work even harder to keep it that way. 

Editor's Note: Answers from candidates are copied exactly as they were sent to Patch.