FeedsCouncil rejects Downtown Development budget
The Belleville Downtown Development Authority (DDA) committee members will have to take a closer look at their 2006-2007 fiscal year budget which was denied by city council members last week.
The motion to approve the DDA budget failed when council members George Chedraue and Lori Hecksel voted against it.
“I have a problem with the budget. Nothing is being done in the downtown,” said Chedraue. “I always thought the DDA was supposed to be the Downtown Development Authority. What are you doing to bring businesses in?”
Toby Leis, chairman of the development authority, said the committee has budgeted funds to hire a new director, for property acquisition, the facade program and a new Wi-Fi Internet program.
“There’s still money there in hopes for a new director, to bring in more businesses, address the streetscape and other new programs,” he said. “The Wi-Fi program was brought up in budget meetings and we’re entertaining the idea, but we may never spend a dime of that money, but we would like to have the funds in place.”
The Wi-Fi program is intended to get facilities in the downtown to provide wireless Internet access for the public. The downtown development authority may also consider property acquisition that hasn’t been up for public discussion, yet, according to the committee.
The fund balance, which is about $915,051, was projected to include appropriations for administrative costs, $320,000 for city services and about $309,000 for economic development.
Chedraue said that for the past two years, the committee has done nothing to attract businesses into the city and feels the budget needs to be reviewed again.
“I would like that money to be spent attracting and recruiting businesses,” he said.
Hecksel echoed his comments. She said the city taxpayers are the people putting money into that account.
“We as a council have to be fiscally responsible. We’re asking the same from the Downtown Development Authority,” Hecksel said. “I know they do a lot of good things, but that doesn’t mean they can go throwing money away.”
“We do what we can as volunteers,” said Leis.
One suggestion, Hecksel said, could be to hire a marketing director who is result-based.
“We’re trying to be as financially responsible as any other board,” said Leis.
Council members agreed a meeting between the two boards—the development authority and the city council—must also take place.
“Work on making buildings and businesses ready and eye appealing, fixing up properties, downtown development, making downtown marketable and putting programs into place. That’s what needs to be worked on,” said Hecksel.
