Asheville City Council, Residents, Businesses, and Organizations,

Asheville City Council is considering a proposal to establish a Business Improvement District (BID) in Downtown Asheville. A BID is a municipal service district that collects additional property tax in an area to provide additional services. As outlined in NCGS 160A‑536(d), cities have the option to provide services to a BID directly, or, as proposed in Downtown Asheville, those funds can be allocated to a private entity to administer.

The team at Sunshine Labs puts forth this “Open Letter” to share specific concerns regarding public participation, transparency, and accountability as City Council considers whether to advance the Downtown Asheville BID. 

April 22nd 2024: The Sunshine Labs Team has published an update to our Open Letter in response to changes proposed by the Chamber and BID Steering Committee.