Inflation and the high cost of living still top the list of major concerns consumers face today in the wake of tight monetary policy. But this is already beginning to change with lower prices for appliances, gasoline, furniture, and used cars — as well as due to the possibility of interest rate cuts affecting borrowing costs coming into view. At the same time, the labor market remains strong, calming fears of a pending recession.
The state of the national and local economy was the topic at December’s Marin Economic Forum. The forum is designed to recap 2023 and offer a preview of what to watch for in 2024. Economic Forum CEO Mike Blakeley hosted the online briefing and introduced Sonoma State University Economist Dr. Robert Eyler who provided an overview of current realities while also offering a cautious, but positive forecast for the year ahead.
MEF’s Year in Review As we get ready to turn the calendar to 2024, we wanted to share some of the most significant activities and events led by the Marin Economic Forum (MEF) during 2023:
Putting a Spotlight on “Economic Equity”: In late 2022 the Marin County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted the “Marin County Economic Vitality Strategic Plan” (“EVSP”) created by MEF. In early 2023, MEF met with community partners to pursue activities under Initiative #4 of the EVSP: “Create Pathways to Economic Mobility for Marin Residents.” MEF met with the County of Marin to discuss indicators that could be adopted by county agencies to track the economic progress of residents, via some of the key programs the county is implementing such as the “Race Equity Action Plan (REAP).”
MEF also dedicated its annual conference, “Forecasting the Future”, to the issue of economic equity. The conference included presentations of programs and activities led by three of Marin’s foremost organizations supporting economic equity in Marin: the Marin Community Foundation through their “MarinMOMentum” project, Community Action Marin and the economic justice program, and a presentation from the County Director of Equity Jamillah Jordan on the REAP program.
Supporting the Permit Process throughout the County: MEF is partnered with the Marin Builders Association (MBA) for the “Permit Improvement Program” (PIP). The PIP is an analysis of processes and customer feedback for municipal permit offices with a goal of improving efficiency and quality of services. During 2023, the County of Marin approved the second phase of their PIP produced by MBA and MEF, assuring residents In county unincorporated that improvements are occurring. The City of San Rafael also completed Phase II of their effort during the year.
Ensuring Continuity of the County and the MEF Board of Directors: In 2023, former Marin County Supervisors Judy Arnold and Damon Connolly left the MEF Board for other pursuits. Ms. Arnold was a founding member of the Marin Economic Commission, which later spun out to become MEF. Under her leadership, MEF not only grew in stature and supporters, but she was a champion voice in the county for economic vitality. Her colleague on the Board of Supervisors, Damon Connolly, was also a staunch supporter of the Marin economy and is now representing Marin County in the State Assembly. Following their resignations from the Board, two new Marin County Supervisors, Mary Sackett and Eric Lucan, were unanimously approved to join the MEF Board of Directors, ensuring the important relationship between the county and MEF continues. We welcome the additions of Supervisors Sackett and Lucan to the Board.
New Partner Program and Issue Platform: The MEF Board of Directors also approved two new programs that are intended to allow the community to have deeper engagement into MEF’s activities. The first approval was for a new “Partner” program, that allows community organizations to join MEF and participate in several activities, from committees to networking opportunities with Marin’s leaders. The second program is an “Issue Platform” whereby the MEF Partners and Board will select issues for the organization to focus during the calendar year. In 2024, MEF will focus on “workforce development” and “business attraction.” We welcome community Partner candidates from all across Marin and in every sector.
Happy Holidays from MEF!
We have enjoyed working with the Marin community this year and can’t wait for 2024! Please see some of our exciting upcoming events below. Marin Economic Briefing – Jan 24
Join MEF Chief Economist, Rob Eyler, for the first economic briefing of 2024 on January 24th at 9am. Registration details forthcoming. ___________________________________ Forecasting the Future – Feb 7
MEF’s signature annual event, Forecasting the Future, will be on February 7th at the College of Marin Novato campus. This year the event will focus on “business attraction” and feature a line up of excellent speakers talking about doing business in Marin County. Register here for tickets or sponsorship opportunities.
