I am involved in keeping Alexandria in the top bracket of city rankings to appeal to everyone who lives here, works here, or chooses to visit.
It started for me more than 25 years ago with the King Street Retail Plan, which documented what the city needed to do. But it would take the city ages to do what was suggested.
Businesses proceeded to paint dilapidated storefronts, install tree well decorations, and mulch and plant flowers.
After pressing the city to allow us to install banners, they approved the idea and gingerly installed 40 banners from the river to the Metro just to make sure residents and businesses were OK with it. Everyone loved them so the following year 160 banners were installed.
Other attempts followed the banner project, like holiday lights.
Then everything dried up as recession set in and the internet began to take business.
Year after year the city was throttled by an inadequate budget because they never increased taxes to pay for what they needed to do. The idea of keeping the holiday lights on longer than from October to March became impossible. School repairs were overlooked and salaries dwindled.
A few years ago, businesses recognized a solution many other cities were using to enhance their business district. So we proposed a BID. I knew instantly it would not work because it just sounded like a tax and nobody wanted another tax.
Not so any more. There are several illusions out there that seem to be the favorite in anti-BID arguments.
Not much on the anti-BID posters is the truth. They all want people to contact City Council and tell them "no BID" but it is really inappropriate.
The facts are that the beautification that Alexandria needs will be possible with a BID. Property value, when it increases because of a BID, will enhance everyone and no property in the District can be developed differently because that is controlled by the Old Town BAR.
Without a BID no extra beautification will happen. That's why we need a BID. Test me. Approve the ordinance and see what the board looks like and then pass judgment if it's going to work or not.
A BID will not happen until all the work is completed and everything is in place. Even the amount of tax money is firm in that it will not be more than $.10 per $100 of assessed property value which means I will pay an additional $400 per year.
I am encouraged by the potential a BID offers to me as an Alexandrian.
David M Martin
Alexandria