Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/96141
Sarasota News Leader November 30, 2012 The DSA is almost 10 times as large, with 330 members. But less than half live or work within the confines of the Downtown Improvement District, which levies a 2-mill tax for enhancement of the downtown area. Page 28 MISSION IMPOSSIBLE "All that money" is a mere $20,000. "We're going to need this money," said DID Chairman Ernie Ritz. The organization is embarking on an ambitious capital improvement Ron Kennedy is a shopkeeper in the district. program in the coming year, and Ritz wants to "I pay the special DID tax," he told the board. preserve cash to pay for overruns and emergencies. "I wouldn't expect the In building a budget DID to clean the Rosefor the current period, mary District sideI wouldn't expect the DID to clean walks or irrigate Burns the Rosemary District sidewalks or the DID intentionally omitted marketing exSquare. What comes irrigate Burns Square. What comes from penses. That omission from the DID should the DID should stay in the DID. is what brought the stay in the DID." DSA to the table to reRon Kennedy Businessman quest a repeat of last downtown Sarasota Kennedy is concerned year's appropriation. the DSA's marketing And that eventually is spread much wider dragged the new merthan just the confines of the DID. chants group into the discussion. A once-a-month event called "First Friday" "Why won't you guys work together?" asked features downtown merchants staying open Ritz. late as pedestrians stroll the area just along DSA Chairman John Harshman replied later in the meeting, "We're happy to work with Main Street and Palm Avenue. them." Last January, the DSA began promoting three other near-downtown areas for additional Fri- "The DSA isn't a bad thing," said Soto. "We would love to work together." day strolls — the Rosemary District, Burns Square and Towles Court — on consecutive Dr. Mark Kaufman, DID board member and weekends. The DSA used DID money for an longtime downtown player, told Soto, "The birth of your organization could be the death umbrella promotion of all four venues, and of their organization." that rankled merchants and landowners who The DID voted to give DSA the $20,000 for pay the special DID tax. marketing. But Kaufman's motion included "a As Soto put it, "It's inappropriate for them to strong recommendation they try to assimilate the merchants' association." % have all that money."