COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Columbus City Council has taken the next steps to establish a Short North visitor fee the could generate up to $2 million annually to fund safety, cleanliness, and beautification efforts.
Councilmembers approved on Sept. 8 the boundaries for the Short North New Community Authority, a group that will charge visitors when shopping, dining and staying at hotels. The authority will oversee the fee appearing on receipts at participating businesses primarily along High Street, between King Avenue and Convention Center Drive. Watch a previous NBC4 report on the Short North’s NCA in the video player above.
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The fee will likely be 1% and applied to purchases at restaurants, retailers, hotels, and parking facilities within the district. An additional 1% surcharge may be added to transactions occurring between midnight and 3 a.m., during peak business hours. The revenue generated by the fee will be allocated to several key priorities for the Short North.
Betsy Pandora, executive director of the Short North Alliance, which proposed the NCA, said during an August council meeting that the bulk of the funds, about 50%, will go toward public safety. Cleanliness efforts will receive 25%, while 15% will fund landscaping projects. The remaining 10% will be earmarked for cultural programming and other community initiatives…