City Council votes to boost BID budgets
Bay Ridge’s 5th Avenue, Montague Street among groups to benefit
Nine business improvement districts in New York City, including two in Brooklyn, will see a big boost in their annual operating budgets thanks to the City Council, which has voted to allow the groups to raise more cash to cover expenses.
The Bay Ridge Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District (BID) and the Montague Street BID are among those that stand to benefit from the action taken by the council on Jan. 19.
The legislation, which was requested by Mayor Bill de Blasio, was sponsored by Councilmembers Vincent Gentile (D-Bay Ridge), Julissa Ferreras-Copeland (D-Elmhurst), Margaret Chin (D-Lower Manhattan) and Deborah Rose (D-Staten Island).
“This is our first increase since 2006,” Bay Ridge BID President Jim Clark told the Brooklyn Eagle on Thursday, when asked for his reaction to the council vote to increase his group’s budget from $$338,000 to $427,000 a year.