Renewal Campaign Nears Deadline

Dan Voelpel harks back in his column in today's edition of The News Tribune to the downtown street scene twenty years ago and muses whether or not two decades of the BIA's property assessments have been necessary and helpful. Most pertinently, he asks whether--given the remarkable turnaround of the city center during that time--the program needs to continue, concluding with these words:

Maybe the day will come when downtown Tacoma can brush the dust off her hands, sit back on her ample laurels and rest like God on the seventh day.

Today isn’t it.

BIA ratepayers were mailed copies of the renewal prospectus several weeks ago, along with a mail-in card to vote for or against the proposed program for the next ten years. Friday is the stated deadline for returning the petition cards; 51% positive response is needed to get the effort over the hump. To date, 47% of ratepayers have returned their ballots with 43% approving the renewal and less than 4% opposing it.