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Politics & Government

City Council Takes Down Sign Assistance Program

The Batavia City Council voted to not use Tax Increment Finance funds to create a Downtown Signage Assistance Program for business owners.

The Batavia City Council doesn't want to see the signs. At least not the ones coming from tax funding.

The majority of the City Council on Monday voted against the Downtown Signage Assistance Program for business owners.  

Businesses would have used the program to help with sign costs by providing up to 50 percent of the actual cost of a sign, up to a maximum of $1,000.

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Eldon Frydendall was one of eight aldermen who voted against the program. He questioned the legality of the program, citing that signage doesn’t increase the value of the property.

Alderman Garran Sparks agreed with Frydendall’s stance.

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“I don’t think a sign will make or break anybody—to me the sign is more advertising,” Sparks said. “I don’t think the city needs to spend TIF (Tax Increment Finance assistance program) money for advertising, especially when we’ve got a lot of stuff on our agenda to use TIF funds.”  

The development of this program came after the City Council voted to remove signage funding from the Façade Improvement Grant. Afterward two successful downtown businesses inquired about signage funding because customer comments indicated signs were needed for better visibility, according to a city memo. 

Alderman Alan Wolff spoke in favor of the program at the June 14 Community Development Committee meeting.

“We’re trying to make things happen downtown, and we're trying to help these businesses out so that they can succeed and that they can draw people downtown and that they can generate sales tax money,” Wolff said.

The program would have been open to existing Batavia businesses. The businesses must have been open for at least one year and lease or own a building in the Downtown Historic District or TIF District to qualify. Funds would have been provided on a first come, first serve basis with up to $10,000 available annually to potentially ten businesses.

The existing Façade Improvement Grant Program assists businesses with financing for exterior improvements to their properties including lighting, awnings, landscaping and windows.

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