D.C.’s mayoral candidates were in agreement Tuesday that the city still has a long way to go when it comes to attracting technology firms to the District.
“What the mayor does has a tremendous effect on how the city attracts IT and telecom firms,” said candidate Marie Johns Tuesday morning at a debate sponsored by the Washington D.C. Technology Council. “The city has been spotty at best when it comes to serving entrepreneurs.”
Candidates Linda Cropp, Vincent Orange and Adrian Fenty also participated in the forum.
The city has struggled to keep pace with Northern Virginia and Maryland in attracting emerging technology companies to the area, an issue all of the participating candidates agreed needs to be addressed. Throughout the years, Northern Virginia and Maryland have seen greater growth in the tech sector.
The majority of venture capital dollars go to start-up firms in Northern Virginia and Maryland, and the city has fewer incubators than its suburban counterparts. While no concrete plans were put forth by any of the candidates, all agreed the city needs more incentives and tax breaks for entrepreneurs.
“Because we’re government focused, we’ve gotten a bit lazy,” Fenty said. “We’re not as hungry as Montgomery County or other jurisdictions.”
“I’ve always been a little disappointed that Northern Virginia beat us to the punch,” said Michael Brown, who missed the debate because of a flood in his home. Other counties “go after companies aggressively,” he told The Examiner. “It’s almost like ‘We’re the District of Columbia. You’re supposed to come here.’ [Maryland Gov. Robert] Ehrlich and these guys, they hustle for business.”
The Washington D.C. Technology Council
» The D.C. Tech Council is a membership organization consisting of D.C. as well as Northern Virginia and Maryland-based technology firms. The organization’s goal is to build a better business environment for the technology community in the District.
» For more information visit www.dctechcouncil.org.
