Creating empty storefronts isn’t the answer when it comes to collecting taxes from local eateries who haven’t paid up. East Lansing should try its best to help businesses during these hard times, not play a role in shutting them down.
Six East Lansing eateries delinquent on their city taxes may not get their business licenses renewed unless they pay up. The debts that range from $77 to more than $1,300. And some of the taxes have been overdue since 1999.
The recession has put a dark cloud over a businesses across the nation - East Lansing is no exception. The economy has contributed to the closing of businesses, big and small, new and old. With this in mind, city officials should be understanding to the circumstances of some of these businesses who are a little behind on their taxes.
While local establishments shouldn’t be allowed to slack off and go without paying their taxes, city officials should be sympathetic to those businesses experiencing hard times.
City officials may should worry about the plight of being a local business in competition with national chains and eateries. Many of these local restaurants have been in the city for a long time and are enjoyed by a huge sector of the population who would be sad to see them go away.
Instead of focusing efforts on luring big chain businesses such as The GAP to East Lansing, the city should do more to embrace its unique local treats, not help them to pack up and leave.
East Lansing should make a point of promoting its stores and restaurants.
It should do something to help stimulate business, especially with the warmer months taking hold of the area.
With efforts from the city and the restaurants, maybe these delinquent businesses can pull themselves out of the hole they’ve managed to fall into. It just won’t pay to have another deserted storefront on Grand River with a “For Sale” sign in the window.
The city council should do all it can to take care of the matter in a manner that will bring positive results to both parties involved. Instead of publicly embarrassing these businesses, the city should sit down and figure out what it can do to help.
