In light of a national economic slump, downtown Madison business owners are reporting only a slight decline in sales.
\We really don't feel that there has been a problem,"" said Chuck Bauer, owner of the Soap Opera, 319 State St., and president of the Greater State Street Business Association.
Some business owners feel Madison's invulnerability to the recession was made possible by the aid of Bauer's organization and the downtown Business Improvement District.
""Services that were placed in effect a while ago by the BID have helped curb any signs of a recession here,"" said Ross Johnson, manager of State Street Brats, 603 State St.
The BID is used to fund services and improvements to its members and is financed through annual tax assessments on privately owned commercial property. The BID includes the State Street area and the Capitol Square.
The Madison City Council will vote today on whether to renew the BID.
According to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, the sponsor of the BID renewal measure, the proposal should pass unanimously.
""The BID has finally gotten off the ground, has big ambitions and definitely needs to be renewed,"" Verveer said.
Johnson said the main purpose of the BID is to act as an umbrella organization for the downtown area.
""Having an organization that collectively markets and promotes the area has been great during this time,"" Johnson said.
The BID propels the business of its members by distributing maps of the area, sponsoring holiday activities and initiating an ""ambassadors"" program, which places guides in the area to direct and assist visitors with their shopping needs.
However, the financial commitment to the BID has not paid off for everyone under its jurisdiction, according to property owners who said they don't reap equal benefits.
""The BID is completely irrelevant for some of us,"" said Peter Wadsack, owner of the 111 S. Hamilton St. building. ""I rent out my building to office tenants, and I have to pay to be a part of the BID just because of the location of the building.""
According to Wadsack, membership assessments for the BID are based on how many horizontal feet of the building are on the street.
""Three-story buildings with the same amount of linear street frontage as 13-story buildings pay the same BID assessments,"" Wadsack said. ""This in no way is helping the small business owners during this time.\
