Improvement district sets first budget

The Downtown Improvement District (DID) board approved its first budget May 5.

The DID has an operating budget of $400,000 in its first year. The group was created to manage a special tax on downtown property owners meant to fund improvements, such as landscaping and security, for which the city could not pay.

Board members won’t get their funds until October, so they had to borrow $35,000 last month to pay Wilson

Miller to create a streetscape plan.

The rest of the budget is as follows:
• $146,000 for land improvements.
• $110,000 for land maintenance.
• $57,500 for advertising.
• $36,500 for special services.
• $15,000 for security equipment.