Stratford BIA budget presented with three per cent levy increase

Stratford BIA budget presented with three per cent levy increase

The Stratford City Center BIA presented its draft 2022 budget with a three per cent levy increase to the city’s finance and labor relations subcommittee Tuesday evening.

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Downtown Stratford business owners could be paying a little more in property taxes this year after the Stratford City Center BIA presented its 2022 budget, and a three per cent tax-levy increase, this week.

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Presented at Tuesday’s finance and labor relations subcommittee meeting, the BIA budget includes a tax levy of just more than $299,000 – a bump from last year’s levy of just less than $291,000. While the levy – collected annually by the city from businesses located within the BIA boundary – has increased, BIA treasurer Shawn Malvern said the more than $320,000 in expenses included in this year’s budget hasn’t changed much in comparison to last year’s.

“Like the budget deliberations council is going through right now, this is a hard budget for us to put together,” Malvern said. “There are a lot of considerations in terms of member needs … (and) things that we accomplished in 2021 and things that we’re looking at for 2022.”

In 2021, general manager Rebecca Scott said the BIA took full advantage of its nearly full-time social media co-ordinator and focused on marketing for downtown businesses. Marketing initiatives included regular contests, the Green Seen campaign highlighting businesses that use environmentally friendly products or processes, holiday marketing campaigns, and video series including Stratford 21, in which business owners responded to 21 questions on camera.

The BIA also continued providing information about pandemic supports and programs as they became available through its regular newsletter.

The city center BIA hosted its Winter Wanderland weekend event in Market Square to bring shoppers to the city’s downtown in December, supported Destination Stratford’s Lights On Stratford festival as a gold sponsor for the Sky Castle display, and worked with the city toward developing a public arts policy and overall cultural plan for 2022.

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The BIA worked with Cycle Stratford, Perth County Tourism and Stratford’s active transportation committee to strengthen cycle tourism in downtown Stratford by purchasing two repair stations and nine bike-parking rings that will be installed this spring and completing a bike-parking audit and map for downtown Stratford.

Looking ahead to 2022, Scott said the BIA will launch its new name – Downtown Stratford BIA – with a rebrand and website launch and will carry forward many of the events and public art, active transportation and green initiatives from 2021. The BIA will continue funding the projects and initiatives of local community groups with Destination Stratford and RTO4 through the Destination Animation Partnership.

“We also continue to work with our city stakeholders,” Scott said. “A big project that we’re excited for is the My Main Street Accelerator program with investStratford, where we’re hiring an ambassador for the downtown – a connector – to develop a database of what’s important to our downtown and incorporate projects for improvement of that downtown core.”

The BIA’s 2022 budget includes $10,000 for anti-racism and diversity training for staff and business owners, $9,300 in anticipated levy refunds for any downtown businesses that may close, $25,000 for the Winter Wanderland event, a $35,000 contribution to Destination Stratford, and $40,500 for beautification projects.

Malvern also noted that staffing costs are higher this year after transitioning BIA staff from contract to full time. The BIA, he added, also did not include any money for downtown horse-drawn carriage rides in this year’s budget since they continue to pose a health and safety risk during the pandemic.

The BIA’s 2022 budget will go to the Stratford finance and labor relations committee for further discussion before it can be approved by council alongside the city’s 2022 budget.

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