First of all, please ditch the polo shirts.
After listening to a few hours of citizen input about the Business Improvement District for downtown Asheville, this was one of the recurring themes I gleaned: Some people in Asheville really dislike the idea of BID “ambassadors” walking around downtown sporting polo shirts.
OK, their concerns go beyond the seemingly benign sporty attire, but it still delivered a clear message: This BID, like the one that never got funded a decade ago, could face a real uphill battle in Asheville. More than 60 people spoke at the April 23 City Council meeting, and the solid majority was opposed, although multiple business owners and residents also spoke in favor of the proposal.
Then, on April 26 the Asheville Downtown Commission split its vote, 4-4, on a recommendation to City Council in support of the measure, meaning no recommendation in favor will go forward. Commission members also had concerns about the BID proposal and some of its details.
I wrote about the idea of a BID as part of Asheville Watchdog’s “Down Town” series last year. I described a BID as a designated area in the central business district in which property owners agreed to pay a special tax in return for enhanced services, like extra security and sanitation.
Some criticisms are legitimate, others a little bit out there.
Allow me to summarize the criticism from the April 23 public hearing:
Apparently a Business Improvement District downtown will force out homeless people and put the kibosh on protests of any kind, spawn more gentrification and increase homelessness because rents will go up, allow an unelected body to take control of public spaces, empower plutocrats to complete their takeover of downtown, impose taxation without representation, further oppress the working class, concentrate power in the hands of elite property owners, and, of course, give polo-wearing “ambassadors” free license to run roughshod over the down-and-out instead of just giving directions to meandering tourists, all under the guise of creating a “clean and safe” downtown, which we all know is simply a “dog whistle” for squashing anyone who’s different. Also, it won’t fix larger systemic problems such as homelessness, mental illness and drug abuse, low pay, and the lack of affordable housing.
Oh, and it likely will infect everyone downtown with bird flu carried by cows roaming the streets.
I made up the last one, but the rest were true. Man, people assign a lot of evil to a BID proposal.
I don’t want to make light of people’s concerns, because one theme that clearly emerged is that locals want Asheville to keep its weird charm. I want that, too. We don’t need a generic, sanitized downtown that bores us to tears.
Part of the resistance, as I see it, bloomed because the proposal comes from, or seems to anyway, The Man, in the form of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Association, which have spearheaded the BID effort. They do have a lot of support from business owners, other local groups such as the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association, and downtown property and business owners who want a better downtown.
In the estimation of these proponents, that means a safer and cleaner downtown — maybe one without needles and human waste on the sidewalks, and downtown workers who don’t worry about walking to their cars at night.
Some public speakers made it clear BID’s board should include representation not just from property owners but also from renters or downtown workers. That’s important stuff, but it’s also important to remember that ultimately the council determines who’s on the BID board.
While details about the BID still need to be worked out, City Council can easily figure those out between now and the two votes necessary to pass a BID, scheduled for May 14 and June 11. At least I think they can, and I hope they do.
What makes this BID tough to get a handle on is that some of these details cannot be worked out until the BID is approved and the request-for-proposals process starts. If the council approves a BID, the city would put out an RFP “to select a non-profit management organization, which would run the processes of creating a nominations committee, conducting a nominations process and creating a slate of the board. That slate would then be submitted to City Council for acceptance,” according to the online BID frequently asked questions page.
As proposed, the tax rate for the BID would be $.0919 per $100 of assessed value. Let’s call it a dime per $100. It’s projected to raise about $1.25 million annually.
Lots of BIDs statewide, nationwide
Let’s pause to note that BIDs have been in North Carolina since 1973, as Asheville Watchdog reported last year. (The state officially terms them “municipal service districts.”) The state has 66 BIDs in place, and some cities have multiple BIDs, according to the North Carolina Downtown Development Association.
More than 1,000 cities nationwide have BIDs.
In North Carolina, BIDs come with a lot of state rules, and first and foremost they cannot replace services that are already provided. By law, cities can’t lower their level of service “unless they face financial hardship and publicly address any changes,” according to a chamber Q&A.
Also, the City Council can change the BID, as well as the tax rate. Council has discretion about the BID board’s makeup, and council must maintain final discretion over the use of the money, City Attorney Brad Branham said at the public hearing meeting.
You can find an enormous amount of information about the operational plan for the BID here, and it’s worth noting that the Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Association have met with a range of organizations, workers, business owners, and others for over a year to discuss it. A 32-member steering committee has been in place for months, and the chamber paid for a feasibility study that found that downtown Asheville was “BID-ready and should continue to move towards formation.”
If passed, the BID would get an intense review after five years, but the council can tweak it.
I suspect City Council might just do what it typically does — hear everyone out, delay the process until the next fiscal year (July 1), and then watch as the proposal dies a slow, painful death. Then a couple of years from now, or maybe another decade, after a wave of complaints, it will entertain creative ideas on how to improve safety and cleanliness downtown.
I’d say a BID, done right, could be a real boon for downtown, as it would be a more nimble body that could react to situations and needs more quickly than City Council, which, let’s be honest, would struggle to coordinate a one-car funeral.
Too harsh, you say? Well, at the April 23 meeting, scheduled well in advance, City Council had trouble deciding when the public hearing would actually start and if people would have two minutes or three to speak. The meeting room at Harrah’s Cherokee Center was already fairly full at 5 p.m., but the public hearing on the BID was scheduled for 7, so some who were already there wanted to get it over with and not wait another two or three hours.
Council decided it had to stick with the previously advertised 7 start time.
I decided to watch it later on YouTube from the comfort of my home. When I left the meeting and walked out of the building, I couldn’t help but notice Asheville’s enduring symbol of stasis across Haywood Street — the city-owned vacant property known as “The Pit of Despair.” The city has owned the site for two decades now, allegedly with an eye toward developing it or putting in a city park, but it remains a vacant eyesore. And let’s not get started on the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, which has been in need of renovation for at least as long.
This is the firepower and agility City Council brings to downtown. So yes, a BID might be the tonic it needs, I thought.
Early in the meeting, Councilmember Sage Turner pointed out that she’s been a downtown worker for decades.
“And I do think there are times in our history of downtown when downtown would have benefited from a more nimble body,” Turner said.
You don’t say!
But Turner had also said she’s not there yet on the BID and has some outstanding questions.
Councilmember Maggie Ullman said it’s clear that the city and its residents “have a really differing perspective and deep mistrust of the others that have a different perspective.” For instance, the notion of “safety” downtown has become “wildly divisive conversation in our community, which feels really sad to me.
“I think people have really different opinions of how we get toward safety, and it’s very visceral, and people have lived experiences on all sides of this,” Ullman said. “I think at the heart of a lot of these conversations I’m hearing is that there’s just really differing perspectives and deep mistrust of the others who have a different perspective.”
That’s heavy stuff for a program aimed at pressure washing sidewalks and maybe putting in some flower boxes. But I get it. Council has to listen to everyone on this one, and get it right.
“Asheville has a tendency to talk things to death’
I recently talked with Kit Cramer, president and CEO of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, and Zach Wallace, vice president of public policy, to gauge where they feel like things stand with the BID.
First we talked about those polo shirts.
“We can find whatever kinds of shirts folks want,” Wallace said.
“If they wanted tie-dye T-shirts, we’ll have that,” Cramer added.
I slyly recommended that the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority could probably find some really snazzy denim shirts for a bargain.
The idea of ambassadors is what partly sunk the BID a decade ago, and it’s raising concerns again. Cramer said over the past year she actually heard, at a Downtown Commission meeting no less, that some people wondered if ambassadors would carry guns. They would not, and that’s never even been on the table.
“The idea is actually to relieve the police department of calls for nuisance behaviors or issues that can be better addressed by a community paramedic,” Cramer said.
Cramer says she prefers the term “community connectors,” as that’s what they envision these people would do — connect people to information or services they need.
On the governance front, Wallace acknowledged that some uncertainty exists, but that’s because the exact form of governance can’t come before the Request for Proposals goes out.
“I think the most important part of that whole thing is that, in the end, council has the final authority,” Wallace said. “These are tax dollars and the board is working within guardrails that a future ordinance would create, and they’re advising and making this organization be nimble and respond to the things that folks want.”
Cramer and Wallace want council to feel comfortable with the proposed BID, but they’re hoping this gets done this fiscal year because it will take time to get the program up and running, and the tax dollars coming in.
“Asheville has a tendency to talk things to death,” Cramer said. “One of our guiding principles is pragmatism. In addition to transparency and collaboration and other things, but pragmatism weighs heavily on us.”
Small businesses and their employees need help, though, and they need it now, Cramer said.
Cramer and Wallace said they were told by the city not to come forward with a proposed board, because that would have to come after the RFP. Same for an exact budget. The RFP has to go forward first, then a board is named that would propose the budget.
So some of these details, by law and design, need to be unsettled for now.
That’s not a big deal. Council retains ultimate control over this whole enterprise.
They can kill the BID if it’s not working out. They can tweak it to make it better.
The whole idea is that it’s flexible and nimble. And this is a good opportunity for City Council to enable that and really do something positive.
I’d like to offer councilmembers one more suggestion, as a way to clarify their thoughts heading into the final vote meeting June 11: Hold the meeting in the Pit of Despair.
Maybe that’ll provide some inspiration.
Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. John Boyle has been covering Asheville and surrounding communities since the 20th century. You can reach him at (828) 337-0941, or via email at jboyle@avlwatchdog.org. The Watchdog’s reporting is made possible by donations from the community. To show your support for this vital public service please visit avlwatchdog.org/donate.
I’m disappointed by the dismissive tone Mr. Boyle takes here about those who have strong reservations about a BID.
The power to tax is one of government’s major functions and wanting it to be done in service to the citizenry is no small concern. At the moment, Council members are saying, “let’s tax now, approve a BID, and work out the details later.”
I say, let’s not buy a pig in a poke. Let’s understand what people will be getting for their tax dollars. Let’s make sure that those dollars are spent responsibly and in the interest of those who are taxed—under the guidance of a truly representative board.
What is proposed now is not that. We can and should do better. The rush to get this done is both unseemly and problematic. There was a dearth of truly public participation in the preparation of the current proposal, and Council is preparing to vote again without any further formal public input.
“Nimbleness” is all very well, but a “nimble” BID board that doesn’t truly represent the community could wind up spending a lot of money in unconstructive ways before facing any accountability.
I recommend watching the Downtown Commission meeting to get a sense for the concerns of the business community as well as residents and workers. https://m.youtube.com/live/tj1wtIep_Cg
Happy to see I’m not the only one participating in pressure walking when downtown 😉.
Listen to the voices who either own a business downtown, own a building downtown, work or live downtown. Wish they could run a special vote (referendum) to only the downtown population in November. Then people would feel the decision was truly Democratic.
Ask WNC Rescue Mission and A-Hope their thoughts. You might be surprised to know their answers might align with the Chamber.
My son’s have two businesses downtown and the stories I hear are quite amazing (violence, property damage, etc. etc). Whatever we’re doing downtown currently isn’t working, so why not try something new? I agree, we tend to talk things to death in AVL. Taking a page out of the entrepreneurial handbook, the real aim of “fail fast, fail often,” is not to fail, but to be iterative. To succeed, we must be open to failure—sure—but the intention is to ensure we are learning from our mistakes as we tweak, reset, and make course corrections as Mr. Boyle points out the BID can do. I’d be in favor of that.
God forbid that we want a cleaner and safer downtown where residents and visitors don’t have to put up with begging on the streets, trash and the smell of urine everywhere and and a place where you feel challenged after 8pm. I can’t tell you how many times i am with local people of all ages who say they avoid going downtown because to the reasons above.
City council is so focused on not offending anyone that they are going to kill the golden goose…a vibrant, eclectic but SAFE and CLEAN downtown Asheville. If local downtown business is willing to pay more taxes for a cleaner safer downtown for all how does that alienate anyone. Be honest over the last several years downtown Asheville’s reputation especially among locals has suffered despite million of dollars spent on promotion and advertising.
WAKE UP Asheville before it’s too late. putting protections in place to rescue downtown is not a bad thing
This is a Business proposal and should be funded by businesses, not by homeowners and renters living in South Slope, several blocks removed from the Central Business District.
The arbitrary Property Tax Increase of 22% that the Chamber of Commerce has asked for, will raise $ 1.25 million for the BID, however, there is no detailed budget estimate showing how it will be used, and of that money, the Chamber wants to take out $200k for themselves, even though they are Not contributing any fund’s to the BID.
This 22 % increase will cost homeowners ( that were never asked if they wanted a BID ) an additional $50. – $100. per month in property taxes , and you can bet that all the South Slope renters will receive a rent increase from the apartment building owners and property managers. Yes, more unaffordable housing !
All the BID promises is a clean and safe downtown, well isn’t that what the Asheville City Government is supposed to supply, with a cleaning crew and police department ?
The negative reputation now extends beyond just locals. A son who lives and teaches near Dallas has mentioned more than once that when people at the university find out that he’s from Asheville they often mention that they had thought of visiting but now hear that it’s unsafe. So sad – for years we never had any safety concerns walking around town and can’t believe that it’s as bad as some claim.
They should stop watching Fox News. Seriously, the stats on safety in Asheville are pretty darn good, and undoubtedly better than any metropolitan area in Texas.
Not accurate, sorry. Sadly, downtown Asheville now has a reputation of not being safe. It’s “creepy” Asheville now.
I work downtown and also grew up in Asheville in the early 2000s. I have never once felt unsafe or that it’s creepy. Seriously, turn off the news.
It’s doubtful that many college professors watch FOX News [they’re liberals even in Texas]. Any metropolitan area in Texas? The 50,000-student university is in a “small” Texas town of 160,000 in a county of over one million. How does one compare stats?
I just wonder why the City can’t provide a safe and pleasant environment with the taxes it already collects. Why should businesses pay extra for services that, IMHO, are necessary and should be expected of a City? The issue that should be debated is no how to charge more for basic safety and protection, but why are these things not currently provided at an acceptable level and cost?
This has always been my question re: the BID. It seems to me it is the City’s job to provide these services to everyone in Asheville, including the residents and business owners downtown.
John Boyle assumes that although “there will be no protests” in a BID that the remainder of the first Amendment for journalists will be honored? The fantasy that a business owns the public is an interesting notion. I’d like to be reimbursed for all the taxpayer infrastructure before they begin their rule.
It appears the those against the BID have a tendency of being against any changes in their lives ergo fearmongers. Making decisions based on fear of change never works out. After 27 years in the area I would look forward to visiting downtown again when this BID cleans it up.
If other local residents are like me, it is not the homeless or disorder downtown that keeps us away, it is the crowds of tourists, long waits for reservations at restaurants, and lack of parking.
Yes, and restaurants that are overpriced/overrated with bad service and attitude and on and on…but since tourism will benefit the most from a BID, I say that tourism-related businesses should foot the bulk of the bill. Ah, but then there’s that ridiculous law about the room tax money and the TDA and blah blah blah…so much money being squandered by this poorly run city and state. But hey, at least we’ve got farm system baseball and beer.
Tourism has formed the backbone of our City’s history since the 1870’s. Even if those issues were addressed, the homeless and current disorder would still keep you away, as it does us. Let’s fix the mess.
Before moving to Asheville, I lived in several cities with Business Improvement Districts. In every instance they were a tremendous success, transforming the defined districts into a more welcoming and pleasant environment.
I have seen them firsthand play a dramatic role in fostering economic growth and improving the quality of life for both residents and visitors. I simply can’t understand why the concept has become so controversial in Asheville.
As Mr. Boyle reports, there are 66 already in North Carolina and more than a thousand nationwide. BIDs work well elsewhere, and if, for some odd reason, an Asheville BID is not successful, it can be canceled. What do we have to lose?
Well said, Scott. Couldn’t agree more.
The main point which you seem to miss is that spending 1.25 million annually to “connect people to services” makes no sense when those services don’t exist or are insufficient. And who has a better grasp of which services are available than the population who most uses said services?
One may conclude that it would be far more efficient to spend 1.25 million to improve the services and their availability. But I think we can all agree that efficiency isn’t the point.
amen…we want cleaner & safer and are willing to pay for it
In news coverage of the BID, I’ve read about concerns that the BID’s ambassadors’ reporting of issues and efforts to connect the homeless to service providers will only serve to overwhelm currently under-funded, under-staffed providers. By law, a BID can’t replace city services so the BID process required that a baseline of city provided services be defined which was done in a letter by City Manager Debra Campbell sent to Kit Cramer, President of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce. I was shocked to read in that letter that in May 2020, there were an estimated 11 dedicated downtown district beat police officers and now there are only 4. As a downtown resident, I’d rather have an increase in my taxes go to restoring APD staffing levels and increasing AFD pay rates BEFORE funding a BID.
As a relative newcomer I’m surprised Asheville lacks a BID. Successful cities tend to have them, especially if they depend on tourism. And, yes, Asheville appears to be a city that loves to admire its problems!
The BID is a hugely unpopular proposal among the people who are now the majority in Asheville: young people who want and are insisting on a different future for our city. It is their future and they are more influential than anybody else.
Having a BID in downtown Asheville doesn’t sound all that awful of an idea.. but the “ambassadors” sound completely ridiculous, unnecessary and just a really bad idea/look …wait, maybe they could wear brown shirts? jesus.
Not impressed with the BID proposal. Their own words damn the thing.
Sketchy details on how many actual ambassadors- no detail on what the salary would be.
The city claiming the right to change their minds on where the money is spent. No way folks, that would strike those of us paying this as theft for the pet projects no one likes.
Taxing one specific group of property owners for this.
A comparison-
I have never been in Asheville public schools, nor have I had children in them. Yet, every property owner pays tax on that system, and it is strictly of benefit to folks who have children. The many support the few.
Anyone that wants to can come to downtown. Why do the few bear the cost to provide a nice downtown to the many?
Taxes shouldn’t be selective- they should be across the board equal and fair.
Then, we have the current rate of inflation that is hurting all of us. Leave it to Asheville city council to want more money now.
Spread the tax out- it could be a lot less for each. Also, don’t waste it on goodwill ambassadors (unless they’re blackbelts)- pay a better salary to law enforcement officers and fill those positions. Its police we really need right now and that would go a long way to fixing the problems of downtown. Not a bunch of kids in polo shirts getting beat up by the aggressive, lawless folks roaming around. Oh, the lawsuits…
L D
Good post, what you say makes sense.
Too bad our city council has no common sense!!!
Thank you, JC!
City Council is not pushing this, so your implication that it is a tax effort by them is incorrect. If you believe what you say, then aim your efforts at the County, which collects a lot of taxes from downtown property owners, then spends in elsewhere in the county. Be FOR something, instead of AGAINST something.
Do you think it’s fair? Are you a property owner in downtown?
The idea of a BID seems reasonable. Unfortunately council seems capable of little more than debate and delay.
A BID would be a great idea, and I hope Council approves it. There is no downside to it, and so many new ideas and options will come from it. It is a win for everyone, but as you say John, Council would have difficulty agreeing on how to organize a one car funeral parade!
From Candler, I can already smell the inefficiency of another layer of city bureaucracy, but if ambassadors get paid anything close to the other newly-invented COA jobs, I want to apply.
Do not enable a BID.
In the UK unmitigated disaster.
Unaccountable corrupt entities, the BID Levy is killing struggling local businesses.
And they do nothing to benefit the locality where they operate.
Extortion rackets, nothing more. At least with the Mafia, receive protection.
“The Man?” I haven’t heard that term since 1970 — which is exactly the year this City, these locals, and the City Council and Manager appear stuck in. God knows we want to keep Asheville a dump so prices won’t increase. Living here is a little like living in upside down world — and who exactly are these “locals?” They don’t speak for me and I’ve lived here (and loved aspects of this place) for 12 years. Thank you John Boyle for telling it like it is. Why aren’t the voices of those of us responding favorably to this piece being heard by the City Manager and Council? Wake up everyone. We need to release the stranglehold this very specific and vocal group has on Asheville. This is NOT a wizard world. Lexington and Broadway are NOT Diagon Alley. And striving to “Keep Asheville Weird” is a dated and contrived concept. Let’s get behind the business folks who have endured so much and support BID to create a truly vibrant and safe downtown.
I agree.
You mention the Council being far from nimble. That’s to be expected I think. And isn’t that why we have a Town Manager? A really well paid Town Manager, I might add.
It seems the main reason for a BID is for tourists. Let the TDA pay for it.
Yep, roughly the cost of one tennis banner and boondoggle. Therein lies the rub…
This is just absurd logic. Why is a clean downtown only for tourists? Don’t our locals deserve a needle-free sidewalks? Don’t our local service workers deserve a sense of safety walking to remote parking? Don’t our residents deserve good customer service and directions to available parking? Don’t our unhoused deserve the compassion of more nimble response when in crisis? A BID serves all in the community who take pride in our city and is explicitly funded only by those most able to do so, with annual government oversight by the way. It’s past time for council to act. The generations of residents who fought for the preservation and vitality of downtown Asheville are watching.
The City Council operates on emotion instead of facts. There is not a leader among them. Just because an issue is difficult doesn’t mean a decision should not be made. There are over 1000 BID’s nationwide. Surely one could be properly replicated in Asheville.
Operates on emotion, instead of facts.
You are exactly right, the definition of a progressive liberal!
For over 2 years, I’ve watched this city “kick the can down the road” on every major issue, from a crumbling Wolfe center, water infrastructure and security downtown until the Buncombe County Sheriff offered a solution.
It appears if the damn place was on fire, the council or any committee would debate whether they should call the fire department! How embarrassing!
Really, just make a move, you may be surprised that every detail does not need to be ironed out. That’s what the representative committee can do. For example, if you do not think there are problems in downtown, you are only fooling yourself.
Wake up and make a decision. We find the surrounding smaller towns are cleaner and much more desirable to visit. There has been some progress downtown Asheville since law enforcement has been working together. See what happens when you collaborate instead of living in a paralyzed state of mind? Wake up Asheville.
Why can’t the businesses take a vote? Or do we have a small group holding back any progress? For such a supposedly progressive town, it appears to be backwards when a decision to move forward needs to be made.
I own property in downtown- a residence, not a business. Yet if businesses were to vote yes on this, I have to cough up money for this BID twaddle.
I pay for clean up around my building in the form of monthly HOA fees. The city will never improve on the work our maintenance team does, nor would I trust them to do it.
My main objection to this scheme is that it only taxes downtown property owners. To say businesses should get to vote on this is neglecting giving the residents a say. There are more residents in town than business owners and do all of them own the buildings they use? Property owners strictly should get to vote if we are the sole ones to be punished with this BID scheme tax theft. Frankly, I think everyone should pay or no one should.
The city has no right to tax one small segment of the population. Nor should they have the power to change their minds on how the money gets spent as they see fit. Where then does it go?
Perhaps the property owners of downtown should look into suing the city. I for one will happily contribute to this if it stops these scams and shenanigans.