According to the Osceola News-Gazette, the Downtown Business Association's (DBA) board voted unanimously to close the downtown farmers' market last Thursday due to issues that developed during the lease renewal discussion for the Toho Square market location. We were surprised to learn about this, and engaged the WayneWho Investigative Blogging Unit to look further into the issue.
Apparently when the lease renewal came up as a discussion item at the Commission meeting, at least two commissioners expressed an opinion that the DBA was not doing enough to grow the farmer's market. According to the Gazette's article, the suggestion was made that...wait for it...a local government funded organization, Kissimmee Main Street, should run the market instead. This represents a true shift in local government policies. It has now become the apparent purview of elected officials to step in and recommend the transfer of not-for-profit events to different organizations when those officials believe they can do it better. Perhaps this reasoning only extends to events held at city facilities, but even so, those who operate events at the lakefront should be wary, as the commissioners may be looking for "bigger and better" from you as well.
Perhaps it was the intent of the commissioners who recommended this course that the potential fundraising of the farmers' market would reduce the city's future fund allocations to Kissimmee Main Street, making this another case of "revenue neutral" bookkeeping. To this we say there is a difference between an event being able to pay its own expenses vs. being able to generate excess revenue, or daresay, "profit."
We are disappointed that the DBA had to make the decision to discontinue their operation of the farmers' market, but we wonder if it hadn't run its course, with business people making a business decision that it was no longer self-supporting. If this is the case, we hope that various governmental grants won't be used to artificially support the event. After all, we already have fountains, birthday celebrations, and All America City competitions to pay for.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
How much tax money is Kissimmee Main Street getting to run this market? And why is this group getting money anyway when there is already a CRA that takes money from the downtown? I liked the market just the way it is, and I don't want to pay to make it bigger.
I thought the commission cut back spending on these types of tax financed groups? Or was that they cut back the funding on groups that actually help people?
I think that a couple of the commissioners were made at the DBA because they sent out flyers about the Fire Fee. Of course Main Street did not get involved with that one to help the businesses because the think they deserve an income for the city, and the fire fee ensured they would be funded.
I am also dissappointed that they did fight this one. This was a blatent attempt by commissioners to intrude on a small group. I will miss the market.
Kissimmee Main Street will do a better job of running the market because they will advertise it and the DBA did not. If the merchants would actually participate with the events that main street has, and now the market, the downtown would be better off. It is time for the DBA to just shut down.
BUT A LOT OF CHANGE IS ON THE HORIZON. TONIGHT THEY WILL VOTE ON A BUILDING OFF EMMETT ST TO BE 92' FT TALL RATHER THAN 52. ITS GETTING CROWDED DOWNTOWN. MAYBE THEY FIGURED THE FARMERS MARKET WOULDN'T BE AN ENHANCEMENT.
I want to know what business the commission had in asking for the numbers on the farmers market? The have a hanger lease up for renewal at tonights meeting, are they going to request the financials of the company for that lease?
Kissimmee Main Street is not a business. It is ran by a bunch of wannabes who don't have the slightest idea of how the private sector works. If all these commissioners and Main Street people are that politically and economically savy, then why is the local economy in the toilet? These people's idea of how to run everything is to spend more tax money on it. Blow it all on little parties for a few people. Has anybody ever heard of the events or things this Main street puts on? Me either. Why don't all these failures go get real jobs or try running a real business on their own dollars -just like everyone else has to. Quit sucking the financial life out of the local economy to pay for your tea parties and let government stick to what it is supposed to be doing.
These commissioners are as close to socialists as I have ever seen. We expect it from one of them, but all of them? What party are these people from? There is not a spending bill they don't like. Well, uless it is for public safety or bettering our economy. Everyone of them running for re-election is in political trouble. I moved to America to escape the socialist terror that government can put on its people and look what we've got here! City on a hill or a city on its way to hell?
Hmm... I guess commission power could not make the market bigger and better. Another slow market day and not a commissioner to be found.
Post a Comment