A Business Improvement Area. The City Council has given the Lower Lonsdale Business Association $120,000 to help start one after a required referendum failed to approve one.
A BIA is a group of businesses in a defined area who vote to be taxed by the central organization. Of course, if 51% vote to be taxed the Council orders everyone to pay. What did the LLBA do when denied to right to to tax the unwilling? They changed the boundaries so that next time they could win. At least those in the deleted areas can't be taxed there will be another vote where this can be stopped.
So they went to Council for funding to continue their crusade to tax the unwilling. Council, of course was right into the concept since they make their living overtaxing people, gave them $60,000 to fund a more professional campaign. Tonight they came back for another $60,000.
Councillor Bookham asked about attendance at recent meetings. I got the feeling an implication was there was not even a lot of support in their audience. Someday Councillors will ask honest and blunt questions when they know want the answer is at the start or let the public know what is really going on.
The proper way performing their task is a form a voluntary organization which of course they did with the Lower Lonsdale Business Association. They should not become unelected people taxing the unwilling. Business owners that oppose this should join the LLBA to stop this stupidity, the voters should stop Councillors who want to hand out taxing authority to their proxies so they can deny the tax increase.
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