Help me out here, smart people...

If someone said to you they wanted to run for mayor, and one of the things they want to do is to "change the Industrial sales tax code to a business tax code so we can use the money to make the down town look pretty. As in street lamps, and facade improvements."

what does he mean?

Obviously, I'm highly skeptical about "facade improvements", since all the buildings on Main Street are privately owned. Maybe someone might allow them to paint a mural on the side of their building, but I'm not seeing them do a full renovation of the facade.

Deanna,

I don't know how that stuff works.

Might be similar to this: Locally we have a thing called TIF Tax Increment Finanacing - Basically they convert the new tax revenue from a certain area, say a new housing development, and apply it to a certain area of town such as beefing up the industrial area to attract new businesses, or buying the abandoned shopping mall and turning it into a community / wellness / indoor sports center.

Don't care the issue. When you said run for office-- what ever the future candidate says is a lie to get elected.

There is some value in having a nice streets that look appealing to some....but beauty is subjective.

Businesses will not relocate to the area unless it makes financial sense.

A main street with beautiful trees does not help if the buildings on Main street are empty.

So what does your main street look like? Are the stores full?

In one small town near me those wonderful small trees are now blocking the business signs and growing roots into storm drain pipes.

Added some flower boxes was a great idea but getting people together to keep them up is a challenge

My GUESS is that you have things in place in your area so that if something is designated as tax income from "industrial", then it can only be used for certain things -- which doesn't include making the place look prettier.

So, they want to change that income to be classified as "business" tax income -- which maybe can be used for different things.

Again, that's just a guess though. I would think this would be a very local thing where you'd have to find it in your local regulations.

- John...

Govt is ONLY in the business of providing those goods and services that the private sector finds either unprofitable or undesirable - PERIOD

back in 80's in NYCity the Grand Central AREA Building owners decided to pay for their own street litter partrol / ambassadors. They wore easily identifiable uniforms and did litter patrol and answered questions - a great change is a short time

The exact thing was done by Times Square Building owners - and that changed area from peep show/ stripper central to a massive high rise office area -

all private $$$$$$ caused the change - NOT BIG GOVT !!!!!!!!!!