WHILE THE STATE ELECTORATE may be in no mood to pass Prop. 1A and thus extend the taxes used to balance this year's budget, Downtown Ventura's property owners just voted to assess themselves a little more to pay for a cleaner, safer business district with better marketing efforts for merchants and other special programs designed to draw visitors to the area.

The Property-Based Business Improvement District (PBID) will add a small percentage to the property tax bills of landowners in the Downtown core. Those in the central areas who will receive the most benefits from the PBID will be assessed more than those in outlying areas.

The plan had the full backing of the Downtown Ventura Organization and the Chamber of Commerce.

While the plan was conceived, executed and drawn up by a citizen's committee, the City Council had final approval on the deal and officially gave it its blessing last night on a 5-1 vote, with only Councilmember Jim Monahan voting against it.

"Despite a year of city-imposed fees, declining investments, and weak consumer confidence, it was very reassuring to see that a majority of property and business owners Downtown have confidence in the work of the DVO," said Executive Director Rob Edwards.

I'VE REALLY BEEN ROOTING for this plan to pass. Our unique Downtown is a thriving entertainment center which sets us apart from the cookie-cutter retail in nearby cities. Most of the businesses are locally owned and operated. The city gave the DVO some seed money from its redevelopment agency to hire a director and jumpstart activities, but those funds are nearly gone.

Since its inception over three years ago, the DVO has become a dynamic, nationally-recognized organization. In the past year it has won multiple advertising awards and was named Non-Profit of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce. The passage of the PBID will keep this momentum going.

The assessments will be collected by the county and turned over to the non-profit PBID board of directors for use. This group, made up of both property owners and Downtown business owners, will decide how to spend the money per the management plan that was approved by the council in March. In five years, the PBID will sunset and it is up to the property owners to determine if it is working and whether or not to renew it.

"Those that have been paying attention to the incremental, but positive changes Downtown realize that our work needs to continue to stabilize property values. And that would not happen without a funded operation with one full-time director," Edwards said.

"This is a very modest budget in a very small district but we will certainly deliver even more upgrades to the neighborhood than we have in our start-up phase these past two years."

Congratulations to the DVO on their hard work in laying the groundwork for this plan and helping to nurture an economic center for our city