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DSA shows map, describes MSD plan to business owners
By Emily Elders
Though only a handful of property and business owners showed up last Thursday (Jan. 18), the Downtown Sylva Association went ahead with the first of three information sessions about a proposed special downtown tax district.
DSA’s MaryBeth Druzbick, owner of Coldwell Banker Woodruff Real Estate, located off Grindstaff Cove Road in the old Chamber of Commerce building, showed an outline of the planned tax district. (The old Chamber building, while included in the propsed MSD, is owned by the town of Sylva and is therefore exempt from any property taxes.)
DSA held the sessions in an effort to garner support for their proposed municipal service district. The establishment of such a district would allow Sylva to levy an additional tax on commercial property owners within that area. DSA is suggesting a 20-cent tax per $100 valuation. Though collected by the town, the money would flow directly to DSA, giving the group a total of about $50,000 per year.
Downtown Sylva Association board members answered questions about a municipal service district, outlined on the above map, which would provide designated tax dollars to fund their organization, during three recent information sessions with affected property owners and town officials. DSA plans to present the MSD plan, and a list of its supporters, during the town board’s regular meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 15.
Town officials, including board members Ray Lewis, Harold Hensley and Maurice Moody, who also is a member of the DSA board; town Manager Jay Denton; and town planning board member Milt Wofford made up most of the audience.
The district would include all of downtown, from Jackson to Mill Street (including side streets Keener, Schulman, Landis, Spring and Evalina), along with portions of East Main Street, Railroad Avenue, Grindstaff Cove Road, Allen Street and Municipal Drive.
Druzbick outlined the organization’s plans for the money in her speech. She cited the hiring of both a part-time director and an event planner for Greening Up the Mountains as goals for this year.
Earlier this week, DSA announced that Mary Kelley, daughter of downtown merchants Livingston and Linda Kelley, has been hired to coordinate Greening Up.
The suggested salary for the director position, according to DSA president Sheryl Rudd, is $20,000 per year. That job is currently being advertised in The Herald.
Druzbick also said the bulk of the money would go towards marketing, promotions and events, orchestrated by DSA – not towards services already provided by the town. Since the MSD tax would be in addition to town taxes, the services Sylva provides would remain the same.
Denton said he couldn’t see the town reducing any of the current services it provides, citing street sweeping, installation of lights, maintenance and street work as examples.
In June, Sylva board members Lewis, Hensley, and Danny Allen voted to reduce the town’s annual $20,000 contribution to DSA to $2,000. The sudden drop in funding led DSA to push for the creation of the MSD, said Druzbick.
“But even though it was kind of catastrophic, we’re actually working better with the town than we ever have before,” she said. “The town has its own constituency to listen to, like we do.”
Town officials had previously told DSA members creation of an MSD would be contingent on support from downtown business and property owners, and that were it to pass, they would like to see more downtown representation on DSA’s 20-member board.
Wofford raised an issue he said he had seen in Fayetteville during the same process.
“Down there, and here too, I think people are really wondering who decides where the money goes,” he said.
Druzbick responded that members of DSA’s board would have the final say over fiscal decisions, but that they would hold hearings prior to those decisions to encourage input from the community.
“We’re going to use that money to increase property values, put money back into the community, encourage facade improvements through our grants, and get more business from both locals and tourists to downtown,” Druzbick said.
Downtown merchants Livingston Kelley and Joyce Moore were among the most vocal members of the audience.
Kelley, of Livingston’s Photo, said he would rather avoid the tax district and begin working on parking issues instead.
“Why would I want to put my money through the tax system if I’m just going to get it back in the form of a grant anyway?” he said, speaking of the facade grants. “I’d rather keep my money, fix up my own building and expect others to do the same.”
Denton added that he had heard that concern from others.
“I’d suggest you find a way to answer people when they raise the concern that you’re giving grant money to improve buildings to people who actually own buildings,” he said.
Moore, of City Lights Bookstore, said she thought the organization had a good track record in downtown and that she believed work to revitalize downtown should continue.
“Sylva is a good example of the whole Main Street (program) philosophy that everything has a ripple effect,” she said. “If one person makes improvements, then someone else is going to see it and think, ‘That’s a good idea.’ ”
Druzbick said her organization wanted to keep the essence of Sylva the same.
“We like the town the way it is,” she said. “We like the fact that it’s a real community.”
Druzbick said there are roughly 200 affected owners within the district, but that it would not be necessary to get signatures claiming support for the district from everyone.
DSA plans to present both the MSD proposal and a list of those in support of the idea to the town board on Thursday, Feb. 15, at their regularly scheduled 10 a.m. meeting.
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