M.Frank

Downtown merchants call for free holiday parking to be reinstated

OrilliaMatters

Downtown merchants may want to look at creating and paying into a fund throughout the year to cover the costs of the downtown parking for the months of November and/or December as a way to draw in more customers. However, asking tax payers to absorb the cost associated with your private business is ridiculous and not a good business model

- M.Frank

Downtown merchants call for free holiday parking to be reinstated

OrilliaMatters

Krampus, that is a fair point but it is also the point being made in the article. When the parking is made free its not always used by paying customers and benefitting the stores. I appreciate that rent/taxes are higher for commercially owned locations, but its still unacceptable to expect tax payers to absorb a businesses expenses. Would you find it acceptable for tax payer dollars to go towards the mall or walmarts parking? I know I am not okay with it

- M.Frank

Downtown merchants call for free holiday parking to be reinstated

OrilliaMatters

NoMore, Unfortunately I do not know of any parking revenue program meant to help create more spaces, but I think that would be a great idea. What I do know is that the the bus going up to the mall is a shared cost. What I do know is that on Wednesday, March 06, 2019 the City of Orillia postes the breakdown: "The total cost of running transit service to the mall is $47,500, which was historically paid by the mall annually, and will now be divided between the mall ($15,000), the Township of Severn ($15,000) and the City of Orillia ($17,500)." This was done in order to retain employment opportunities for our community and to ensure that our seniors were able to safely make it to the grocery store, as it is a geographical food desert. As a tax payer I am not happy we are subsidizing it, but the outcomes seem to warrant it. Just one persons opinion though

- M.Frank