Novato to consider de-funding business improvement district

By Janis Mara

Opponents of Novato’s Business Improvement District say they have filed a majority protest that legally compels the city to de-fund the association, and they plan to turn out en masse at Tuesday’s City Council meeting to press their point.

“If the members of the BID don’t want the BID, that certainly is a powerful argument that something is not working correctly in terms of how the BID functions,” said Robert Eyler, head of the Marin Economic Forum and a professor of economics at Sonoma State University.

Should the district be dissolved, “the interesting thing is, how will they fill this need once the BID is gone?” Eyler said.

“If it goes away, it may be more difficult for small players to market themselves. It may make it harder for the city to provide events that will generate foot traffic for downtown and hence more business,” Eyler said.

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