Advertising the Heights

During the campaign of 2009, the Peoples Party flier stated that I had not shown how the new administration had a hand in the "gin up" of the Village revenues. A letter that was in the Journal Star, written by present Peoples Party trustee candidate Dave Parkinson, also took me to task about trying to take credit for the sudden increase in the Village sales tax revenues over the last few years. Per usual, neither of those "sources" took the time to read what I had continuously put out both in this blog and in campaign materials. I have stated many times that we CAN take some credit for the uptick in sales tax revenues in the Village. Why? Because beginning with the first budget we had control of, we began advertising the Heights, through the Chamber of Commerce; through festivals; and through the mass media in general.

Beginning in fiscal year 2006-2007, the Board of Trustees approved money being given to the Chamber to advertise the Village. We began the Tower Park Music Fest. The Chamber started Duryea Days, helped with the money given through the Board. What has been the payoff?

In fiscal year 2005-2006, the sales tax revenues in Peoria Heights came to $1,163,776.00. This was a slight increase over 2004-2005, around 2%. Those percentage increases were virtually uniform over the previous years. The Village would see increases of 2-3% each year, as a matter of routine.

With the advertising of Peoria Heights commencing in 2006-2007, the increase in sales tax revenue went to 11.5%! The dollar amount increase was $133,822.00; a normal increase would have been around $23,000.00, so by advertising the Heights, we saw an increase of over $110,000.00 in ONE year in sales tax revenue. The money given to the Chamber, and the money put in to the Music Fest, that year, was around $30,000.00; so we realized $80,000.00 of absolutely new money for the Village, just by advertising what we have to offer.

This out of the ordinary increase can be attributed to one thing, and one thing only, ADVERTISING. If it didn't work, no one would do it. No Wal-Mart had opened here; Heritage Square certainly wasn't taking off; it was pretty much "business as usual" in terms of numbers and sizes of businesses within our confined borders. Our sales tax revenues have continued to rise by 2-3% since then, until this past fiscal year, so the big bounce we saw from advertising that one year has continued, and is now our new "measuring stick." What would happen if this advertising is taken away? It might take a year to catch up with us, but you can be certain we would see a pronounced drop in sales tax revenue. That is the way of business.

And, we ARE in business as a municipality. We are in competition with every other community around us, to bring people in, to show them what we have to offer. When a person comes to the Music Fest to see a band play, they are likely to buy gas here; to drop by Walgreens for an item or two; to take in one of our restaurants for lunch or dinner; to BUY things that they otherwise would not have bought had the Music Fest not been going on.

When a person logs onto the WEEK-TV website, and they check out the weather view from the Observation Tower, they will also find advertising for the upcoming things to do in the Village. When they turn on the WEEK-TV news, and watch Lee Ranson's weather report, they will also hear Lee talk up what is going on in the Heights for the upcoming weekend. This all puts the Peoria Heights name out into the public domain; for a number of good reasons, but foremost in bringing additional sales tax revenues into the Heights.

Advertising is a good thing. It has clearly helped us out, and brought a good deal more revenues into Peoria Heights than the costs of doing the same. It's too bad when a good thing becomes a political thing; but when your opponents are bellyaching that NOTHING we do is good, it comes with the territory.

Again, if advertising didn't work, no one would do it.

It's working in Peoria Heights.