Six Months Hence - Where are Elk Grove's High Paying Jobs?

June 10, 2015 |

Six months ago today, the Elk Grove City Council swore-in four of its current members; two new and two existing.

Taking their oath were incumbents Mayor Gary Davis and Vice Mayor Pat Hume. Both men, who were first elected in the seminal 2006 election, were unopposed for their respective seats in 2014.

Also sworn-in that night last December were Steve Ly and Darren Suen. Ly won a four-year term and Suen was appointed to a two-year term to fill the vacancy created by former Council Member Jim Cooper's election to the California Assembly.

As readers may recall, Davis and Ly campaigned to correct the city's well-documented jobs to houses imbalance and that together, our dynamic duo promised they would work diligently to bring high-paying jobs to Elk Grove. As a reminder of the Davis-Ly promise, a running-clock was placed on this site to monitor how long it will take for the duo to make good on their high-paying jobs promise.

In the six months, there's nothing to report on Davis and Ly's promised efforts. 

Since then, several retailers either announced plans or opened facilities in the city. That list includes today's grand opening of the Smart & Final in the old Bel Air space on Elk Grove Boulevard, the approval of a new structure for a 99 Cents Only store on Elk Grove-Florin Road, and across the street from them, the location of a Wines & More.

The largest employer announcing plans to locate here was by Nina's Mexican Foods in the former Bimbo Bakers space. While the tortilla bakery will add much-needed diversity to Elk Grove's overwhelming number of low-paying retail and fast food jobs, it came here not because of anything Mayor Davis or Council Member Ly did, most of the credit goes to an enterprising leasing agent who lured them. 

"Throughout his sixteen years in Elk Grove, Steve Ly has 

proven he is the type of partner I need at City Hall. Steve

will work hard to help me recruit new businesses to

Elk Grove," - Elk Grove Mayor Gary Davis.

The truth of the matter is there is not a whole lot that individually the City of Elk Grove, its economic development director, much less Davis or Ly, can do on their own to land the Moby Dick of economic development - high paying jobs - to the city. We are not only competing with other California cities and states, Elk Grove is in a global competition for the high-skill jobs that everyone wants.  

It is no wonder that almost immediately after taking oath last December Davis pivoted  from his job creation mantra and called 2015 as "the year of the infrastructure." Two months earlier on KVIE's Studio Sacramento, Davis told host Scott Syphax that "We are really, truly laser focused on growing our jobs base." (see video posted below).

Obviously the Mayor, who backpedaled off the well-paying job-promises line immediately after the election of his protege Ly, realizes their individual promise is unattainable. As Sacramento's economic development director and self-described gunslinger Barry Broome noted, the regions 17 regional economic development officials need to cooperate and refrain from cannibalizing each other, ala Elk Grove's Prison Health Authority deal, so the entire region can prosper. 

Given Elk Grove's spotty history of regional cooperation, it is hard to gauge if Elk Grove will continue its go-it-alone philosophy or work as part of a team engaged in a global competition. Let's hope our council members take a realistic approach, work as part of a team, and put their parochial interests aside.   

Finally, we would be remiss if we did not give Mayor Davis credit for the creation of at least one well-paying job in the last six months. When the Elk Grove City Council approves the 2016 budget at tonight's meeting, it will include one new full-time assistant sought by, and approved for Mayor Davis.