Not So Grand

The Business Improvement District fees charged by the Downtown Business Association of Escondido were contested by a pair of business owners at the May 5 city council meeting.

Greta Kurtz, a business owner for 25 years, told the council that the business association promised downtown merchants that the “necessary increases” would benefit them. In one instance, they were told that the fees would help pay for a shuttle service for employees.

“The shuttle was short-lived,” said Kurtz, who owns a travel agency. “But the fees are still here. These fees have created a hardship for many small merchants.”

According to Kurtz, a seamstress with a shop on Grand Avenue was expected to pay $400 to the business association. “People are forced to make a choice between paying their overhead or the [Downtown Business Association].” After not being able to pay her fees, a business license was not issued and a code enforcement officer showed up to try and collect the money.

“We feel that it all comes down to the money and not what’s best for the merchants,” said Kurtz. She referred to the business association’s description of where the fees are spent as vague, misleading, and inflated.

Vivian Doering, who operates a law office and has been a resident of Escondido for over 40 years, said, “I am not exactly sure what the value is of the BID to me…. I was told there would be more trash cans, that there would be better lighting. However, I know it hasn’t happened.”

Doering also questioned the need to pay for both a business license and fees when little improvement has been done downtown.

“When you walk around downtown, you can see there’s a lot of empty space.”