While our Mayor is dreaming about Events Centers, cotton candy and streets paved of gold, it seems he has to deal with another lawsuit spawned by the past administration. Nevermind the one that was postponed this week about sewer backups from several years ago – remember when we got like 20 inches of rain in 2 days? (yes, kids, this is our very expediate judicious system). Nope this one is about charging businesses that don’t benefit from promoting entertainment and hospitality downtown to paying extra property taxes for promotion they don’t receive;
The lawsuit from Red Buffalo Trading Co. Inc. comes eight months after a similar lawsuit from Ronning Cos. and two months before the City Council votes on whether to renew the tax assessment.
The legal battles, as well as increasing expectations for DTSF from the public, could lead to changes in the way DTSF is financed.
Twenty-two percent of DTSF’s money is from the assessment collected by the Main Street Business Improvement District (BID). That’s why DTSF president Jason Dennison said finding a way to maintain the assessment while still satisfying the group’s membership is crucial.
“Without our member-sponsors and the assessment, we really wouldn’t be able to do what we do,” Dennison said.
What do you do? I think it is time to pull the plug on DTSF. Downtown is prospering fine on it’s own, and downtown businesses can do what other businesses do on their own, MARKET THEMSELVES! It’s time to get rid of this special interest front. We already have a Chamber of Commerce, why do DT businesses need a special marketing organization?