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Other article: Businesses Consider Raising Taxes for Community Improvements
August 25, 2009
Source: Community Partnership Update/September 2009
 Nowadays, many cities and counties are stretching their budgets to make local enhancements and yet some things are still slipping through the cracks. Improving public transportation, cracked or broken sidewalks, traffic congestion mitigation, etc. are all issues that neighborhoods face.
Local and civic groups are coming to the rescue by encouraging businesses in their areas to implement community improvement districts (CID). The possibility of forming a CID in the Lindbergh-LaVista community was raised during the Blueprints for Successful Communities process that the Lindbergh-LaVista Corridor Coalition (LLCC) recently completed with the Georgia Conservancy and Georgia Tech's Graduate School of City & Regional Planning.
During the Blueprints process, members of the LLCC expressed interest in accomplishing several projects, including: sidewalk enhancements, especially around busy centers of development and along major corridors; managing parking in a way that would better serve businesses and residents; improving public transportation; and exploring ways to mitigate traffic congestion in the area. Establishing a CID is one way to carry out these projects.
Metro Atlanta has already seen several CIDs in successful communities, including Midtown, Perimeter, Buckhead, Town Center and Gwinnett Village. The LLCC is exploring the feasibility of establishing a CID in the community. For more information about this project, visit the LLCC's website www.lindberghlavista.org.
What is a community improvement district?
A community improvement district (CID) is a powerful public-private partnership and has been used successfully in metro Atlanta and around the country to revitalize center cities. It is an effective tool for financing improvements that directly enhance property values by allowing property owners to determine how funds are spent in their areas. CID funds can augment existing services such as public safety and can also be used to leverage additional public and private funds.
How is a CID created?
A CID is a geographically defined district in which commercial property owners vote to impose a self-tax. To enact a CID, a simple majority of affected property owners, holding at least 75 percent of the assessed property value of the area, must vote affirmatively. Funds are then collected by the taxing authority and given to a board of directors elected by the property owners.
What type of improvements can a CID make?
The Georgia Constitution specifies that funds collected through a CID may be used for seven types of applications, including:
1. Water
2. Public transportation
3. Street and road construction and maintenance
4. Parks and recreational areas and facilities
5. Storm water and sewage
6. Parking, terminal and dock facilities
7. Other services and facilities allowed by law
Who runs the CID?
The participating property owners define the purpose of the CID and elect a board of directors to represent their interests. The board is ultimately responsible for determining funding and managing the process and for identifying and retaining staffing resources necessary to conduct day-to-day operations.
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