Marin County is developing a new five-year economic plan that will directly shape how the county supports downtown merchants, commercial corridors, workforce programs, and tourism in Mill Valley, Corte Madera, Larkspur, and Tiburon.
County Executive Derek Johnson called on local business owners to participate in the Economic Vitality Strategic Plan, telling Marin Magazine on Monday, July 27, that "economic vitality is directly connected to quality of life, public services, housing, jobs and the ability of our communities to thrive over time."
The Board of Supervisors approved a $250,000 contract on June 9 with BAM Consulting Inc. and Strategic Economics, Inc. to develop the plan, according to the board's meeting agenda. The effort updates the county's initial 2022 economic planning work and reflects a new centralized economic development function created within the Office of the County Executive after the pandemic-era economic disruptions of 2020 and 2021.
The plan covers local businesses, downtowns and commercial corridors, workforce pathways, tourism, and agriculture. Community and Economic Vitality is one of the Board of Supervisors' six core budget priorities for fiscal years 2026–28, according to the county's economic vitality webpage.
More than 70% of Marin businesses are microenterprises with fewer than five employees, according to a county press release from April 29. That statistic helps explain why small-business support sits at the center of the county's strategy.
Corte Madera pursuing its own plan
Southern Marin is already moving on a parallel track. Corte Madera's Town Council voted unanimously in June to allocate up to $145,000 to Good City Co. and Economic & Planning Systems Inc. for a separate, town-level economic development plan expected to take 12 months.
The town's effort focuses on urban design and place-making as economic development tools, Amy Lyle, Corte Madera's director of community development, said at the council's Tuesday, June 16, meeting. Town Manager Adam Wolff said the plan would help prioritize ideas "in a sequence that makes a lot of sense going forward from a budget standpoint."
The county and town plans are distinct but complementary. The county plan is countywide; Corte Madera's is specific to the town's commercial areas.
What's at stake
Johnson, who grew up in Novato and was appointed County Executive in April 2024, framed the urgency in terms of commercial corridor decline. He cited Santa Barbara's State Street as a cautionary example, saying that without planned change, communities experience "unplanned decay."
The county has not published specific dates for public input sessions tied to the plan. Its economic vitality page states the plan is being developed with cities, businesses, educators, and community partners, but no engagement calendar has been posted.
Business owners and residents who want to track opportunities to weigh in can visit MarinCounty.gov or call the county's Economic Vitality division at (415) 473-6456. The Board of Supervisors will vote on the finished plan once the consultants deliver it.
