What is the best way today to organize a business district?
Business owners and managers or property owners have three basic choices when it comes to responding to the needs of their business community: In essence, they could do the following: 1. Do what most business communities do, which is nothing, and face the onslaught of deteriorating conditions; 2. Create a voluntary business association which is undercapitalized and usually crisis- driven and consistently acts in a defensive manner. 3. Take advantage of state legislation or local enabling legislation and petition their municipal government to establish a business community assessment district, based upon a reasonable and legitimate show of support from the affected property owners. Historically, Chambers, merchant’s associations and downtown business associations have been voluntarily based. These volunteer organizations, in many places, are in decline due to an unreliable cash flow and a constant need to raise money and recruit members. Many of these organizations are able to maintain
