Short North fee plan moves closer to approval
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Some Short North businesses may soon start charging an extra fee on purchases to fund community upkeep — and such charges are actually fairly common around Central Ohio.
Why it matters: The Short North is one of our most popular arts and entertainment districts, but drawing more visitors means more concerns about safety and beautification.
- The nonprofit Short North Alliance, which petitioned Columbus last month to create a New Community Authority, believes the proposed fees would help keep the neighborhood clean, safe and vibrant.
How it works: A New Community Authority is a political subdivision long permitted by state law that can finance improvements in a defined boundary.
- A governing board with appointed members — in the Short North's case, appointed by Columbus City Council — would manage the funds and be audited by the state.
The big picture: Franklin County is already Ohio's hotspot of New Community Authority activity, based on a recent report from local law firm Bricker Graydon, which represents nearly all of them.
- They range from buzzy local districts like Dublin's Bridge Park and Franklinton's Gravity to areas of smaller communities like Athens, Newark and Circleville.
- Bricker Graydon says they're an underused economic development tool throughout Ohio.
Follow the money: The fees are typically small. For example, Bridge Park charges 0.5% at restaurants and 1% at hotels.
What we're watching: The process to create one in the Short North took another step forward last week when Columbus hosted a required public hearing, but it still has a way to go.
- The district would be concentrated along High and Fourth streets, between the convention center and King Avenue.
What's next: The next step is City Council approval, and members are expected to take action by month's end.
- Then Short North business owners could start opting into the program to charge the fees on customers.
- The first project inside the authority would be a pocket park.
What they're saying: "We would not anticipate anything to begin until, at the very earliest, later this year," Short North Alliance executive director Betsy Pandora tells Axios.