Business marketing fund being ‘watered down’: councillor
Posted Oct 4, 2011 05:27:17 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Halifax business leaders may find out today whether they’ll be allowed to use a marketing fund for more than just advertising when Halifax Regional Councilors assemble for their weekly meeting.
Businesses in more and more parts of HRM are forming Business Improvement Districts, which can access a $100,000 fund that the city matches, dollar-for-dollar.
This week, council will consider a proposal to allow the funds to be used for beautification, safety, conservation and maintenance as well as marketing.
Coun. Gloria McCluskey, (Dartmouth Centre) tells News 95.7 the problem is that the city fund is finite and remains at $100,000, regardless of how many BIDs are created.
“Why do we keep creating BIDs with the same amount of funds? It’s being watered down too much and it will end up not being of any benefit to any of them,” said McCluskey, who also sits on the city’s audit and finance committee. “We need to, if we’re going to make that money meaningful at all, we have to increase it.”
Staff is working on a review of the overall BID policy, which will be presented to the audit and finance committee for review.
