No BID for Boonton
The Issue
Recently, the Town of Boonton released a survey (found at Downtown Boonton Improvement District Survey) asking the residents how they would feel about the formation of a Business Improvement District, or BID, in the Historic Main Street shopping district. This survey was released without any notification to the business community at large and presents a one-sided image of the work that both the Town of Boonton and non-profit Boonton Main Street (BMS, soon to be renamed Downtown Boonton) have done in shaping the success of the business community. Neither organization is responsible for the hard work, dedication, and sacrifices made by every business owner, every day, in the pursuit of their American Dream. The reason Boonton's downtown is vibrant is because each business owner is an expert in their community and mission, and the advisory board formed by the Town of Boonton does not reflect the diversity of our business owning community, of which nearly half of all businesses are owned by women and nearly ¼ are owned by people of color. The vision seemingly being presented for downtown Boonton's future is out of step with the realities of its community, and the presumption that BMS/Downtown Boonton should be the manager of a program without public hearings or the opportunity for the business owning community to collectivize is deeply troubling, and an affront to democratic processes.
As concerned business owners, we say "NO BID 4 BOONTON," and present our 4 key concerns about a continued partnership between the Town of Boonton and the BMS/Downtown Boonton board in any form. Please sign our petition and say NO to taxes labeled as "special assessments,' NO to property tax increases to fund spending with no public oversight, and NO to suppressing the voices and expertise of our BIPOC and women business owners.
VOICE
The businesses deserve to have the opportunity to create their own pathways to programming that reflects the character and diversity of the business community. If the town can assess fees and use property taxes to fund a BID, wouldn't it be more efficient to have projects supervised by the municipality, where the requirement exists that professionals execute tasks? By prematurely naming BMS/Downtown Boonton as the District Management Corporation, the Town of Boonton has effectively shut the businesses out of the conversation about what does and does not work for our district, disregarding our expertise in our own livelihoods.
MONEY
Typically, BIDs are funded directly by the businesses within the defined Improvement District, and the Town of Boonton estimates that each commercial property would be responsible for paying $1200 a year on top of their property taxes to fund the BID. The Town of Boonton admits that our downtown is too small for a BID to be self-sustaining, and expects to manage the funding gap through fundraisers, which are highly unreliable sources of revenue, and contributions from the taxpayers themselves. What they call "robust investment[s] by the Town itself," appears to be more increases in residents' property taxes.
ACCOUNTABILITY
A BID lacks the transparency of a budget overseen by the town council. It awards the money to a 3rd party non-profit for managing, which creates barriers to public oversight. BMS/Downtown Boonton, whom the Town of Boonton wishes to name the District Management Corporation of the proposed BID, received an NPP grant of $125K yearly from 2021 to 2026 on top of their regular funding, but could not find the budget to pay a professional to design a website business directory, or hire a professional PR team or advertising firm to support the business district they were trusted to revitalize. When there's no public oversight, it becomes difficult to identify fiscal mismanagement until the money has already been wasted. Is this who we wish to entrust with our tax dollars?
COMMITMENT
Many of the services being touted as an advantage of having a BID are already in place and paid for through the current property taxes paid by ALL the tenants of Main Street. Sanitation services, landscaping, holiday decorations, streetlights and street signs are all part of the public investments funded by our tax dollars. Our Downtown is safe thanks to the diligence of our police department. Why would we charge our hardworking residents and business owners for redundant services in a district that is already safe, clean, and secure?
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The Issue
Recently, the Town of Boonton released a survey (found at Downtown Boonton Improvement District Survey) asking the residents how they would feel about the formation of a Business Improvement District, or BID, in the Historic Main Street shopping district. This survey was released without any notification to the business community at large and presents a one-sided image of the work that both the Town of Boonton and non-profit Boonton Main Street (BMS, soon to be renamed Downtown Boonton) have done in shaping the success of the business community. Neither organization is responsible for the hard work, dedication, and sacrifices made by every business owner, every day, in the pursuit of their American Dream. The reason Boonton's downtown is vibrant is because each business owner is an expert in their community and mission, and the advisory board formed by the Town of Boonton does not reflect the diversity of our business owning community, of which nearly half of all businesses are owned by women and nearly ¼ are owned by people of color. The vision seemingly being presented for downtown Boonton's future is out of step with the realities of its community, and the presumption that BMS/Downtown Boonton should be the manager of a program without public hearings or the opportunity for the business owning community to collectivize is deeply troubling, and an affront to democratic processes.
As concerned business owners, we say "NO BID 4 BOONTON," and present our 4 key concerns about a continued partnership between the Town of Boonton and the BMS/Downtown Boonton board in any form. Please sign our petition and say NO to taxes labeled as "special assessments,' NO to property tax increases to fund spending with no public oversight, and NO to suppressing the voices and expertise of our BIPOC and women business owners.
VOICE
The businesses deserve to have the opportunity to create their own pathways to programming that reflects the character and diversity of the business community. If the town can assess fees and use property taxes to fund a BID, wouldn't it be more efficient to have projects supervised by the municipality, where the requirement exists that professionals execute tasks? By prematurely naming BMS/Downtown Boonton as the District Management Corporation, the Town of Boonton has effectively shut the businesses out of the conversation about what does and does not work for our district, disregarding our expertise in our own livelihoods.
MONEY
Typically, BIDs are funded directly by the businesses within the defined Improvement District, and the Town of Boonton estimates that each commercial property would be responsible for paying $1200 a year on top of their property taxes to fund the BID. The Town of Boonton admits that our downtown is too small for a BID to be self-sustaining, and expects to manage the funding gap through fundraisers, which are highly unreliable sources of revenue, and contributions from the taxpayers themselves. What they call "robust investment[s] by the Town itself," appears to be more increases in residents' property taxes.
ACCOUNTABILITY
A BID lacks the transparency of a budget overseen by the town council. It awards the money to a 3rd party non-profit for managing, which creates barriers to public oversight. BMS/Downtown Boonton, whom the Town of Boonton wishes to name the District Management Corporation of the proposed BID, received an NPP grant of $125K yearly from 2021 to 2026 on top of their regular funding, but could not find the budget to pay a professional to design a website business directory, or hire a professional PR team or advertising firm to support the business district they were trusted to revitalize. When there's no public oversight, it becomes difficult to identify fiscal mismanagement until the money has already been wasted. Is this who we wish to entrust with our tax dollars?
COMMITMENT
Many of the services being touted as an advantage of having a BID are already in place and paid for through the current property taxes paid by ALL the tenants of Main Street. Sanitation services, landscaping, holiday decorations, streetlights and street signs are all part of the public investments funded by our tax dollars. Our Downtown is safe thanks to the diligence of our police department. Why would we charge our hardworking residents and business owners for redundant services in a district that is already safe, clean, and secure?
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Petition created on September 28, 2026