The pursuit group for the Asheville downtown Business Improvement District has struck again. Downtown property owners are saying they want a seven-cent tax increase.
“My proposed assessment will be less than what I currently spend on graffiti and snow removal from my properties,” [David L. Brown of Brownstone Realty] said. “I came to this process a skeptic, but I now understand the benefits and fully support a downtown Asheville BID.”
Shallow Inference: The City of Asheville spends too much generating synergy and diversity to crack down on crime and maintain public areas.
“If it was just another tax that City Council controlled, you wouldn’t have the property owners on board. These are revenues that we can control,” said Peter Alberice, an architect and downtown resident.
Shallow Inference: Asheville City Council is not representative government; particularly when it comes to property owners.
A study by economist Steve Ha of Western Carolina University estimated . . . the agreement would ensure that the city keeps serving the downtown with police, fire and other public services.
Shallow Inference: The city is so broke, it cannot afford to provide police, fire, and other public services without a seven-cent tax increase.
Residents would benefit from cleaner sidewalks and quicker graffiti removal, said Susan Griffin. “The city is going to pick up trash from bins, but they’re not going to pick up litter from the sidewalk,” she said.
Shallow observation: Why, just last weekend, I saw a civilian sweeping the middle of the street in Biltmore Village.
