Improving St George’s economy is the key to putting the town back on the right track, East End businessman Alfonso Harris believes.Mr Harris is challenging Mayor Kenneth Bascome in the municipal election on May 10.“I feel that it’s been negatively affected over the years and I would like to try to build our community, to bring more business to St George’s,” Mr Harris said.“This is the big one; the economy in St George’s. If we can improve that, get that vibrant and growing, everything will grow.”With no hotel at the East End the economy has suffered in recent years.Compounding that, St George only receives irregular visits from cruise ships, most of which are too large to fit through Town Cut.Mr Harris said he would have to wait until all of the reports are complete before developing an opinion on whether Town Cut should be widened as has been proposed in the past.However, he said, other options, such as the construction of a dock at Murray’s Anchorage as suggested by former Mayor Henry Hayward, should be given serious consideration.Numerous businesses have shut their doors due to the fall in the number of visitors to the Old Town.“Having my own business here, I have seen the decline. I felt I had to get involved and do whatever I can about it,” Mr Harris said. “I think that we need to be able to make it more attractive, more secure and more welcoming for businesses and visitors.”He said one of his top priorities is to move forward on plans to build a new marina and boutique hotel in the heart of the town.“If you look at the harbour, you will see we have some impressive yachts here, and that’s something we can build on,” he said.He also promised to continue work with the St George’s Club to improve the St George’s Golf Course and said he would like to reopen the unfinished church as soon as possible.“That’s one of our landmarks,” he said. “It’s something that we can do to get people in the town and keep them in the town longer.”He noted numerous events that take place in St George, saying that each of them provides an opportunity to showcase all that the area has to offer.“We have the Old Town markets on Saturdays, we have the start of the End to End race, we have the Rubber Duck Derby,” Mr Harris said. “I would really like to use these things to shed more light on the town, its beauty and its history.”The Corporation of St George has been in talks with taxi drivers to improve coverage at night and offer shuttle services to St David’s, he said.The hope is that the two areas will be able to build off each other, offering visitors more reasons to spend their time and money in the East End.“I want to build a better relationship with Government and look at the Municipality Reform Act to see what we can do in St George’s to help ourselves,” Mr Harris said. “I wouldn’t want the town to be completely dependant on Government.”Positive points were that Government has promised to increase ferry coverage to St George this summer and the town’s security has improved, Mr Harris said.“We have just got the [police] station open more — that’s something that Mr Bascome has fought hard for — and we have PC Litanya Smith, who has been very visible in the town,” Mr Harris said. “She has been out there letting people know that there is a police presence in St George’s.”