Why do the BID organisers have to lie to voters?
The lies being spun by the BID organisers really is getting ridiculous now, does anyone really believe the BID organisers don't have a list of voters?
Are you to believe they don't know who the voting businesses are? Gross incompetence if they are admitting this!
A truthful reply would have been "we have one but we don't have to share it with you, so won't."
Basic respect, honestly and truthfulness is key in all this, just shows you can't believe everything the BID proposers are promising (and we have seen many examples of this recently, i.e. has anyone seen the Draft Business Plan they promised?).
Yes the Harrogate Borough Council Returning Officer (Chief Executive) will conduct the ballot, but based on the Council rates lists the BID proposers pull together the voters list to pass onto the Council, the Council checks it and passes it onto the electoral service which sends out the ballot papers etc. The voters list doesn't just 'magically appear' in the Returning Officers hands!
Thankfully we don't need the BID organisers to see / get the final voters list as under BID legislation the Council has to make it available for public inspection, and a copy can be formally requested and this is all in hand to get. See BID legislation for 'obtaining information from billing authority for the purpose of canvassing' https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2004/2443/regulation/11/made
But even so, the BID organisers would rather make their own fellow Knaresborough businesses go through legal channels to get a copy of the voters list, rather than simply share a copy when asked. Sad thing is that these people on the BID Task Force treating you like this are your own fellow businesses.
So on that note, remember that Mo Aswat is NOT the BID proposer, he is just the advising sub-contractor to the BID Task Force; the Chamber, Rob & Bill et al - the Dirty Dozen as someone has referred to them as. They are the ones in charge and making the decisions, but they seem to be using Mo as their outsourced go-to scapegoat rather than getting involved themselves as they should.
So suggest people get back to engaging with the Task Force and not be fobbed off to go and speak with Mo, who as people know is doing everything in his power to manipulate the whole ballot process for his £paycheck. Your questions and concerns need to go to all members of the BID Task Force, after all they are the ones asking for your vote and would be running this BID company for you if voted in.