[Vision2020] B.I.D.

[cjs]

Bad - Idea - Deal.

1)  Double taxation?

2)  Isn't Friendship Square a park? If so, where are the restrooms that all of our tax dollars are to buy? Aren't all "parks" supposed to have bathrooms?

3)  Isn't the city supposed to maintain "all" the sidewalks? They do it in front of residential and the malls and the strip centers? Oh yeah - they maintain the parks too, and what about the public parking facilities? So - what is different about down town? Nothing! Granted they passed the snow removal part on to the owners. Only in front of your property though. That is residential and commercial. That is equal.

4)  The city owns the trees downtown. How I know this is that I was trimming some branches that were beating my sign to death and the city was going to fine me. Remember the fiasco at the mall when the mall removed some trees?

5)  If you wish to improve business in a certain zone or area it is a proven fact that reducing the tax burden on those in that area has "always" spawned prosperity and improvements to the buildings and structures that exist there. Not "more" taxes. That will surely cause the death and devastation of downtown. Or is that somebody's agenda? 

6)  Who is "thriving" in the downtown corridor? Oh - wait...... N.S.A. Why - TAX BURDEN RELIEF!!!

7)  We do not need a B. I. D. or anything of the sort. It has been done here a couple of times with the same outcome. Remember Alive After Five? Dead on arrival. There should not be a cost if the city is doing it's job and maintaining the district. Isn't the downtown district a benefit to the entire community? If so, the burden should be shared by all. Equally! Just like the sidewalks in front of your homes.

8) Parking. I think all of us spent a couple hundred thousand dollars on a piece of paper called, "The Downtown Revitalization Plan."  Why aren't we following it? It speaks of the city aquiring property at the north end of town basically for parking.  Anybody can get a copy of this expensive piece of paper that reads like it is mass produced for all small communities, at the building department. Why would we spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a plan we are not implementing? And you want to do it again? Heeeellllllooooooooo!!!!!!

In summary.........  there should be a special tax district for landlords in the downtown corridor that gives them a substantial discount. For they will re-invest those dollars in their buildings. Hence, maintaining and making a thriving downtown district. This has been proven over and over accross our country and the rust belt is the biggest example.

If this B.I.D. thing is to go thru I think there should be a minimum qualification that the person must have created from scratch numerous businesses and made them successful. I want my tax dollars going to a competeant individual(s). How about you?

Phil