Please take the time to research what’s happening in your community. You’ll stay better informed on decisions that relate to you. One downtown merchants association had assessed each business the equivalent of their business license fees just for the privilege of doing business in the downtown section. Then, they used that money to do something which actually hurt those businesses.
As far as anyone could discover, the merchants assessment fees were spent on two separate art festivals held on three-day weekends. During these festivals, the streets were blocked off and merchants’ clients were unable to park conveniently nearby. Until enough of the merchants attended the city council meetings and voiced their displeasure, the artists placed the back of their booths toward the storefronts. This totally blocked the view of the merchants from attendees. After much deliberation, the artist booths were placed back-to-back in the street, allowing ample visibility to the merchants.