Tauranga's central business district has become run down as a result of council policy, but it will be Tauranga businesses that have to pay for its restoration.
Mayor Stuart Crosby told councillors at yesterday's meeting they were aware there would be an effect on the city when the council approved consent for the suburban shopping precincts that now surround the CBD.

The Strand. File picture.

To redress that, they are intending marketing the CBD. The area for discussion in the draft 10 year plan is how much Mainstreet Tauranga members have to pay towards the salary of the marketing person.
That discussion of payment options to be included in the annual plan took place at Thursday's council meeting.
There is $45,000 required, $5000 for the administration of the City Centre Action Group and $40,000 for the salary of a City Centre Project Manager to market the CBD.
Strategic planner Adele Hadfield presented councillors with four options for discussion ranging from maintaining the status quo – funding the City Centre Action Group with a 50:50 split from the general rate and the economic development targeted rate.
Other options all involve taxing Mainstreet Tauranga members. Option two was to make business owners pay the entire $45,000 salary by taking it out of the existing Mainstreet levy. Or in option three they could add it to the Mainstreet levy as an additional rate, or split the costs in option four, or any and all of the above for option five.
Councillors were warming to splitting the costs three ways across the Mainstreet levy, the economic development rate, and the general rate, but Mainstreet manager Kirby Weis forced a re-think.
He pointed out that one third, one third, one third, would mean two thirds for Mainstreet members. They already pay the general rate and the economic development targeted rate.
Councillors voted for the status quo, for the purposes of discussion, and to revisit the issue when the annual plan comes back for discussion early in 2010.
The City Centre Action Group, which will be marketing the CBD, includes ratepayer supported Priority One, Creative Tauranga, Tourism BOP, Tauranga City Council, plus the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce, Tauranga Property Council, and Tertiary Forum.
When Mainstreet Tauranga was founded in 1994, the Chamber of Commerce was the only other business interest group. Since Mainstreet was founded the council has approved 14 new retail precincts in the city.