Tax incentive program maxed out for first time

Maiers largest contributor to downtown Moses Lake efforts

MOSES LAKE - Efforts to revitalize downtown Moses Lake through a statewide tax incentive program reached the maximum dollar amount for the first time in 2007.

The Moses Lake Business Association has been eligible for the program since December 2005.

Under the program, businesses may make a donation to downtown renovations. The state provides business and occupation, or B&O, tax credits to each participating city.

Each business making a contribution receives 75 percent of the amount contributed back as a tax credit.

In 2007, contributors in Moses Lake donated the total amount available, $128,800, to the program, said association Executive Director Sally Goodwin.

"There's $2.5 million allotted in the state, and it's divided by the number of cities qualified to participate," Goodwin said.

The money received goes toward downtown revitalization, with plans registered with the state including flower pots downtown and improvement of the appearance of facades, or the front of buildings, such as a fresh coat of paint or major renovations including awnings and overhangs.

Last year, Moses Lake was third in the state as far as participating cities. This year, one other city maxed out before Moses Lake did.

"But we had 22 different businesses contribute," Goodwin pointed out. "Some of them were $100, some of them were much larger than that, but every one of them counts. Personally, I think it shows more community involvement when you have that many versus when you have one large corporation or whatever donate the entire amount. We really appreciate everyone's contribution."

Moses Lake business owner Pamp Maiers Sr., contributed the largest amount, giving a total of $53,600.

Maiers, owner of North Central Construction and Central Washington Asphalt Inc., said he made the donation to help the city out and hopes that the money's used wisely.

Maiers said he is a supporter of Moses Lake and the downtown area.

"I was surprised they had such a hard time filling the need, I was hoping that there would be more people stepping up to support the downtown area," he said.

"He's done so much for our community, he's done so much for Moses Lake Business Association," Goodwin said of Maiers. "He really believes in our community and he thinks we're on the right track and doing the right thing. It takes major contributors like that to make us reach the goal. As much as we appreciate the $100 contributions, it'd take a whole lot of those to make $128,000."

Goodwin said the association plans to continue its involvement in the program in 2008.

Goodwin attributed the success in raising funds in 2007 to having Heather Eblen come on board to recruit businesses to make contributions.

"The first year, it was myself and a couple board members who really did most of the contacts," she said. "At the time, we just didn't have the time to do what we needed to with it, because Heather contacted well more than 75 businesses more than once. There's probably one or two she saw once or twice, but the majority of them she saw four times or more."

Such repetition is necessary, Goodwin said, because some companies have to go through their boards in order to make a donation.

"You just don't walk into somebody and they hand you a check," she said. "It takes the work of contacting people, to let them know about it and then they need time to digest the information, check it out and see how it works in their business before they actually make a commitment."

The association plans to continue the work of contacting businesses. Goodwin said an individual will probably be assigned to the task.

The flower pots on Third Avenue will be expanded this year to Fourth Avenue, Broadway Avenue and the connecting streets, Goodwin said.

The association is in conversation with a Spokane architect, who is providing three different renderings of ideas for facade improvement, which Goodwin said the association will pitch to property owners.

"(The association) and this contribution, we can't actually do the work - we're not a property owner - but we can do some of the footwork and the paperwork to get it started," she said.