Jul 30, 2010 3:35 pm US/Pacific
Business Owners Ask For Higher Taxes In SF Mission
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) ―
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Flowers on the 2500 block of Mission St.
CBS
Merchants in one part of San Francisco's Mission District are saying they want to pay more taxes.
As vibrant as it may be, the Mission district is not exactly known for its cleanliness, but now some property owners are paying to try and change that image.
The 2500 block of Mission St. between 21st and 22nd is now lined with floral baskets. The sidewalk gets cleaned more often than neighboring streets.
"I love it because I like coming to work clean streets, no graffiti," said Gus Murad of Medjool Restaurant. "I don't have to roll up my door and get my paint and brush and start my day that way."
Property owners created a business improvement district five years ago with an unusual mandate - every business on the block is voluntarily paying extra money to the government.
"They came together and they said 'let's pay more property taxes so we can have these additional services,'" said Philip Lesser of the Mission Miracle Mile Improvement District. "No one wants to pay more, but they see the benefits of those services outweighing the costs."
The extra tax adds up to a $75,000 per year budget that also helps pay for security cameras.
Not all of the neighbors are so sure they are getting their money's worth. Some business owners said off camera that they are concerned about whether their tax money will be spent wisely. Some owners don't like the fact that they can't opt out. It is a mandatory tax because the majority of owners on the block pressed for it.
The Improvement District is now asking supervisors to grant an extension of the tax for another 5 years.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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