Businesses in Harrow said no five years ago, but Essex Town Council thinks it may be time to ask again if they want a business improvement association.
Councillor Sherry Bondy thinks the cost may have been behind the decision in 2011 to reject it, but she believes the answer may be different this time around. For starters, the town has an economic development officer.
"Council sees a difference between what the Chamber [of Commerce] can do, and what the BIA can do," she says. "That person can go around and do an education component about what the difference is."
Nelson Silvera signed on with the town earlier this year and last month held walkabouts for councillors in Harrow and Essex Centre.
Bondy says it's not just apparent to town councillors what a BIA could do for Harrow; residents do too.
"People are seeing more results of beautification in Essex," says Bondy. "We want to relay those results in Harrow too, but it's really hard. There's different mechanisms in each downtown core, so we don't have the money in Harrow to do the same things that they're doing in Essex Centre."
Businesses in Harrow will have to vote 60% in favour to approve a business improvement association.
- With files from Ricardo Veneza.
