Supervisors clear $50K supplemental contribution to improvement district
Supervisors clear $50K supplemental contribution to improvement district
Downtown Tucson, AZ - The Board of Supervisors today voted unanimously to use $50,000 from the Contingency Fund to supplement the County’s contribution to the Downtown Tucson Partnership in order to increase lighting downtown.
The Board in July set aside $180,000 as the County’s DTP payment as part of the FY2018/19 budget but a subsequent analysis determined the proportional benefit to the County for participating in the partnership came out to just over $276,000. The $50,000 requested would help make up the difference.
Much of the supplemental funding will be earmarked for DTP’s “Desert Nights Downtown Lights” festivities, a five-week celebration that culminates with the annual Parade of Lights. The additional lighting will make downtown streets and public spaces safer, easier to navigate and more attractive during the Winter holidays. Additionally, the scheduled re-opening in December of the Historic Pima County Courthouse will ease some of the parade crowding.
"DTP deserves a great deal of praise for making Downtown a real destination for visitors and a nicer place, as they say, 'to live, work and play,'” Facilities Management Director Lisa Josker said. “Especially laudable has been DTP’s effort to reduce homelessness by engaging individuals who camped in public spaces downtown and matching them with social and behavioral health services and providing temporary housing.”
Formed in 1998, the Partnership is a Business Improvement District formed in 1998 to revitalize and develop municipal services in the downtown area, including maintenance, security, promotions, social services and economic development.
The County will include a full allocation to DTP when preparing the FY 2019/20 budget – a $276,164.12 fee payment in lieu of property taxes.