13 Sep Agency Gives San Pablo Small Businesses, Economy a Boost

San Pablo City Council on Sept. 3 heard from the city’s Economic Development Corporation and moved toward giving its own members a raise. (Screenshot captured by Samantha Kennedy / The CC Pulse)

By Samantha Kennedy

In its own words, the San Pablo Economic Development Corporation’s mission is to act as “the catalyst for equitable economic opportunity.” 

And that’s exactly what it showed in a Sept. 3 presentation to the San Pablo City Council. 

SPEDC, which says it acts as a liaison between city departments and businesses, offers workforce and business services — including job readiness training, business marketing and grant opportunities. 

Between 2022 and 2024, the corporation, in partnership with the city, distributed $730,000 in funding relief, known as the San Pablo Back-to-Business Fund, or B2B, to over 50 businesses. 

Aurora Betancourt, the corporation’s business and housing manager, says there is “a huge demand here in San Pablo for small businesses to obtain business development, marketing services, referrals for access to capital.” 

>>>Read: Small Business Owners Need a Lift Up, Not a Handout<<<

The corporation assisted almost 100 businesses this past year, according to data it provided, delivering over 400 services to clients. 

“We are thrilled to support so many small business owners who are the backbone of today’s economy,” Betancourt said. 

One of those small business owners is Pein Arte, who owns a beauty salon in San Pablo and was a recipient of the B2B fund. 

“The funds we received helped expand my business to hire another employee and have a space for them to work,” Arte said, according to the presentation. “This funding needs to continue in order to help more businesses.” 

Council Could Soon Give Itself a Raise

The San Pablo City Council is the latest city in the Bay Area to move forward with a council pay raise following a 2023 bill that allows adjustments to salaries in response to inflation. 

The city councils of Concord, Oakley and, most recently, Antioch have approved salary increases for incoming council members after November elections. 

San Pablo council members, including the mayor, who is appointed by the council, are paid a monthly salary of $1,094. The proposed change would be a 30% increase to current salaries. 

Council members last saw a salary increase of 20% in September 2018.

Under the new 2023 state law, council member salaries can be increased between 5% and 10% depending on which way governments decide to move forward. Cities can, for example, increase a council member’s salary by 5% per year for every year since the last salary increase. SB 329, the 2023 state law, also gives cities the chance to increase a salary equal to inflation since Jan. 1, 2024 but only up to 10%. 

The San Pablo City Council chose in June 2023 to proceed with the 5% per year increase. 

Approval of the salary increase would make San Pablo council members some of the highest paid in Contra Costa County with a monthly salary of $1,422, totaling a yearly pay of $17,066. The cities of Antioch and Concord, according to August 2024 data obtained by the city, are the only councils in the county to be paid more. 

Council members will vote on the increase at the next San Pablo City Council meeting Sept. 16.