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Old Town Auburn fee proposal passes |
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Written by Rachel Chaddock
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The Auburn City Council voted unanimously Monday night to approve the proposed fees for the Old Town business district, but with some amendments.
More than a dozen people from the Old Town district attended the meeting, which was the final hearing for the proposed raise in Business Improvement District (BID) fees which first came before the City Council on April 14, but the process began over a year before.
Councilman Kevin Hanley made the motion to levy the Old Town BID fees, keeping the retail fees as proposed but lowering the fee for personal services to $100 from $125, single-owner professional services to $250 from $300, and multiple owner professional services to $500 from $600.
Councilman Mike Holmes seconded the proposal with the amendment
that city staff look at the structure of the BID fees for personal and
professional services and report back in 90 days. Any findings would
not affect the current year’s BID increase.
The BID levy is part of the process of procuring a business license,
required for anyone wanting to do business within Auburn city limits.
Although
there were some in attendance against the proposed increase, Mayor
Keith Nesbitt cited the ballot mailed out to all businesses on the
city’s Old Town business list concerning the increase. Of approximately
121 ballots mailed, 46 were returned in favor of the initiative and 18
were against. “It’s like the last California primary election,” said
Nesbitt. “Less than 40% of the population came out and voted but you
can’t change that after the fact.”
Richard Burge, who has a professional service in Old Town and is an outspoken opponent of the increase, said, “I’ve never had any contact from this group except to hear that they were going to raise my fees. If the people in Old Town can’t keep up their buildings I am not willing to do it for them. I’m sick of taxation without representation.”
Councilman Bob Snyder took issue with this statement. “It’s not exactly taxation without representation,” he said. “You did vote for us.”
“I didn’t,” countered Burge.
“My point is that this isn’t exactly 1776 here,” said Snyder. “There is due process.”
The BID increase would increase the revenue from the $17,000 raised last year to about $34,000 - $36,000 per year. The funds go toward the upkeep of the Old Town Business District.
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