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Mayor and City Council Meets on Future of DDC

February 12th, 2020 by WCBC Radio

With the Cumberland Economic Development Corporation in the process of merging with Allegany County- and efforts to redesign the downtown mall for vehicular traffic ongoing- the future of the Downtown Development Commission is now on the table for discussion.  The DDC oversees maintenance and up keep for the mall- with the cost essentially covered via a special “mall tax”.  When Baltimore Street was transformed into a pedestrian mall in 1979, a bond was issued to cover the cost. Although that  bond was retired in 2013- the mall tax continues as it provides for snow removal, landscaping, promotions, above-ground maintenance and holiday decorating. On Tuesday, CEDC executive director Paul Kelly met with the Cumberland Mayor and City Council to discuss a number of issues- including the future of the DDC and how it might work with-  or perhaps be absorbed by the CEDC…

7 Responses to “Mayor and City Council Meets on Future of DDC”

  1. February 12, 2020 at 5:24 am, Steve said:

    This “whole” picture just doesn’t seem right.
    Nothing gets accomplished and we have a city hall, high ranking official on the Board of Directors for the CEDC, When are the people of Cumberland going to wake up?
    Once Again….when it is too late. City will not be here in a few years, watch!!

    Reply

  2. February 12, 2020 at 5:46 am, jim said:

    Save money. Dissolve the do-nothing CEDC.

    Reply

    • February 12, 2020 at 6:09 am, Bob said:

      > If only they were doing nothing rather than running up massive debt on lame projects conceived by the not very bright and championed by similar. I agree, dissolve pronto.

      Reply

  3. February 12, 2020 at 6:20 am, mac said:

    Here’s where the head scratching and back room planning start at the DDC.
    With the reintroduction of traffic on Baltimore St. how are they going to justify collection of a special mall tax when there in no longer a mall? They like to have that money coming in and are loathe to let it end.
    Let’s face it, with the return of traffic Baltimore St becomes, wait for it, a street just like any other one way street.
    I look forward with great anticipation to see just how the DDC will justify collecting their special tax.

    Reply

  4. February 12, 2020 at 6:57 am, Bill said:

    The CEDC is bad news, always has been. They’ve done nothing but destroy the downtown community and they have failed to complete a single project. If the DDC is dissolved there will be no focus on events or attempts at resurrecting our community heart. Mac is correct, if they dissolve the DDC there is absolutely no need for the Mall Tax, it’ll just be another street like Virginia Ave or Green Street. The death of the mall and the DDC has been the goal of Larry Jackson all along, and he’ll be known as the destroyer of our downtown.

    Reply

  5. February 12, 2020 at 7:02 am, Ken said:

    This article highlights one issue I’ve had with this scheme all along. Our wonderful downtown mall was created by the special tax bond paid by the downtown merchants. Why should the taxpayers have to pay to remove it? If all the downtown merchants want it removed (which they don’t) they should have to pay for it with a new special bond. See if Larry Jackson still pushes for this if he knows its coming out of his pocket. Mort Peskin would be furious.

    Reply

  6. February 12, 2020 at 2:15 pm, Ed Dodrill said:

    The mall tax should be extinct.

    Reply

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