By ALLAN SAENZ
Los Alamos Local Business Coalition

After listening to last night’s Los Alamos County Council meeting regarding the Local Economic Development Act (LEDA), I want to express my appreciation for the positive direction this process is taking. What I heard was encouraging—more clarity, more structure, and most importantly, a stronger willingness to work together toward “yes.”

To the County Council and County staff: thank you for your leadership and your efforts in shaping a system that is clearer, more flexible, and more proactive in supporting small local businesses. The inclusion of timelines, drafts, and templates, along with a process that businesses can actually follow, is a big step forward. Having that information available up front and being guided and working together with the staff will be something small local businesses truly appreciate.

This is also a step forward for New Mexico, showing leadership in how we can open the door to small, local businesses in meaningful ways. If future improvements include clearer consideration of participation agreements and how projects benefit the community, the impact of this process will be even greater.

I encourage local businesses to consider this opportunity, see if it’s something you may qualify for, and talk to the county. They are opening the doors and welcoming businesses into a process that’s clearer and supportive than ever before.

If you need more support, the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) offers free assistance, and Janice Kirch is a great person to reach out to. She knows a lot about LEDA and can help guide you, even if you’re just brainstorming. You can also reach out to the Los Alamos Local Business Coalition—we’re happy to help in any way we can. Contact us at coalition@losalamos.com.