Local Improvement District

In order to focus limited resources, a municipality may wish to identify specific areas in its community that are in particular need of business marketing or physical improvements, such as water and sewer improvements, sidewalks, street trees, landscaping, or new street lights.

One way to fund business promotion and infrastructure improvements in a specific area is through creation of a Local Improvement District. A Local Improvement District is a special assessment district which covers the area benefiting from the capital improvements, and which allows a municipality to issue bonds to finance the costs of the improvements over a period of time. A local example of a Local Improvement District is the Ithaca Downtown Partnership which was formed in 1996 to help market and promote the Commons and downtown area of the City of Ithaca.