In case you missed last Thursday's Orange County Democratic Women Forum for candidates for Orange County Register of Deeds and Orange County Board of Commissioners, here's our Storify from the event.

Orange County commissioner candidate and local business owner Mark Marcoplos is proposing that the Orange County Economic Development Office create, maintain, and promote a database of the county’s local, independent businesses. Said Marcoplos: “Our local, independent businesses are the backbone of our economy. They provide the majority of business jobs while accounting for the biggest share of retail sales in the county. Additionally they help to bind our communities together. The government of Orange County should actively promote and support these businesses. To that end, we need a comprehensive database of local, independent businesses detailing the goods and services that each one provides.”

Marcoplos envisions a searchable database that residents could use to find providers of products and services in our local business community. With a strong, ongoing promotional effort, county residents could more easily find local businesses to meet their needs.