Life without BID (2) – We keep more money in the pockets of hardworking businesses and the local economy.
Let’s talk money because after all that’s what BID is all about, the only reason BID exists is to tax / legally force money from some Minehead businesses.
By taxing businesses for nearly £1/2 million the past 5 years, that is money which has been taken out of the pockets of hard-working businesses, a lot of which has been given to the councils and sent to contractors outside of the local economy when you look at the way BID have been spending it. A yes vote is voting to do the same, bringing that amount over 10 years close to £1 million extorted from the Minehead businesses that BID has chosen to unfairly tax.
Agreed, there is no other business taxation system that will raise £100k+ a year for Minehead directly from businesses, but also ask yourself, is that amount of money even needed in the first place if we wanted to do something together as businesses? Even BID will admit they have tens of thousands of pounds surplus to requirements at the end of the 5 year term, and then there’s the money they’ve wasted.
Ask yourself, how good has their financial decision making and money management been for you? Do you like the fact they’ve given so much money to the Councils and to contractors around the country? Is it right BID gave back to Minehead Town Council a £5k donation they gave BID to help businesses with post coronavirus support, just because BID felt it had too much cash already so didn’t want it. Was it a good decision for BID to give thousands to consultants to save business costs which ended up costing more than it saved. Was commissioning and pushing the gift card scheme which they had previously said no to because looked like a waste of money, right to do because they couldn’t think what else to spend £25k on (shows they couldn’t even be trusted with SWT’s ETCRF of £100k). And then we see them spending thousands on a reballot vote yes campaign and consultants, when if they had one a great job and shown value for money businesses would be tripping over themselves to vote yes.
Finally let’s raise the fairness question again, why is the financial BID burden of Minehead falling on only a couple hundred selected businesses? If we were to even do BID, perhaps £110k isn’t really needed, there are BIDs out there raising less than half that amount, and wouldn’t it be fairer to tax more all Minehead businesses less? This is one clear alternative if BID want to put this to the businesses but they will be making all sorts of excuses not to, all because they’re scared BID wouldn’t be voted back on if there are more voters, but is that really right or fair on the voters they’ve selected to be part of BID?
BID is an unfair tax and a yes vote is a vote to throw more money down the drain.
n.b. This is just one post talking about life without BID, so please also read the other posts aswell to get a complete picture.
