Savannah pushing to implement fee to enhance downtown (sales, city hall)

[Airforceguy]

he 25-cent fee would be applied to sales of $10 or more to cover the costs of the Savannah Serves program that consists of uniformed ambassadors, maintenance workers and Savannah-Chatham police officers. Groceries, gas and prescription medications would be exempt from the fee, and businesses would retain 3 percent of the revenue to cover administrative costs.

The city estimates the fee will generate $2.5 million, although the amount is considered conservative since the program is new and there is no history to work from. As a result, the city will only implement the program in stages so that the costs do not exceed the revenue, said Marty Johnston, deputy assistant to the city manager. After the program has been in effect for a couple of months, the city will review the proceeds and address any concerns, Johnston said.

Savannah pushing to implement fee to enhance downtown | SavannahNow

[SavannahLife]

Sales tax. Brilliant strategic move. Take from the middle class, and use it to benefit hotels in this case.

I'm glad my lunch will be taxed to pay for tourist ambassadors and services (not really). I believe the ambassador program is useful. But if it's to benefit tourists, tax the hotel rooms right. Connect the tax use, to the tax expense source? That would make economic sense.

This will be over about as well as parking fees on Sundays and to 8pm. Imagine if they put this much effort into crime on city council, instead of goofy stuff like this.

[pink caddy]

Do you think with all the effort that the regulars here on board provide as Ambassadors for Savannah , would we be entitled to a cut of the pot? Look, no harm asking right?.

[counterclockwise]

$9.50 bar tab plus 7% tax triggers $.25 fee. Hey bartender don't let tab run over $9.99 tax included. Just start another tab.

[TheDarkKnight]

Idiots we have in City Hall.

Makes me want to run sooner and sooner.

[SavannahLife]

Got my vote Dark!

pink - hmm well hey in that case, maybe I'd change my mind!

I's a good program and they represent us all well but taxing locals does not seem right. For this specific program.

[gentlearts]

My biggest issue with politicians is what I call, "fixing what isn't broken." It is a way of looking busy, while never dealing with the real issues. Why mess with parking in a way that will make it even MORE irritating, as if that were possible?

We visit my son in Southern Pines, NC often. There is a small, but vibrant, downtown...I'd say it's half the size of Savannah historic district. Residential and commercial. The streets are narrow.

It's full of shops and restaurants, and a few parks, as well as an Amtrak station. Anyway, all day long people come and go, with free pull-in parking (not sure what you call it, not parallel, the other kind). There was an annual Springfest last weekend. More people than usual parked downtown, and yet there was no problem, because people knew they could come and go. Circle the block once, and a spot opened up...come for a quick beer, or come for the farmers market and then go home, because they knew they could come back later. Take your kid home for a nap and come back for the evening.

As I may have mentioned, like, 1000 times, I avoid going downtown because of parking. I would gladly go out of my way to shop at the specialty shops, except it is not practical. If I lived in the tourist district, I would insist upon a free, dedicated parking spot for each and every homeowner (maybe 2). They do not need Ambassadors for tourists, they need to treat their constituents better.

So, seriously, I think free parking would be better for commerce in the big picture. The tourists already have valet parking.

[SavannahLife]

I will go downtown less if parking is not free. I am positive of that. I enjoy going so often now exactly because it's free, and I eat and shop at many small businesses. Maybe it won't be at one specific time, but I will think about paying for parking, everytime I have to feed the meter. Which is a more important point: it's like phones with unlimited data. I may not want to park the whole day, or use a zillion gigs of data. But I don't want to have to think about it or worry about adding more time. argh. You nailed it gentle. They are "doing something" at City Hall.

[counterclockwise]

This fee on $10+ purchases resembles something Laurel and Hardy would come up with if they were in charge.

[bellhead]

Add an extra 1% sales tax to the 31401 zip code.