(Atlantic) In today’s world of online giants, it’s easy to lose sight of the importance of supporting local businesses. Bailey Smith, Executive Director at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, said Atlantic showed its strong support for local by collecting a record $153,353.56 in Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) dollars in December.
“The Atlantic Area Chamber is committed to boosting LOST dollars each year, the easiest way we support the City of Atlantic. One way we accomplish this is by partnering with First Whitney Bank & Trust to implement a strong Shop Local Marketing Campaign, but we also organize one of the largest tourist events in the state, Christmas in Atlantic, which brings thousands of people to our community every November and December,” Bailey Smith, Executive Director at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce stated.
“We have a strong retail base who work tirelessly to offer inventory shoppers are looking for, but they also creatively market themselves and offer unique in-store events that draw consumers in. Atlantic is fortunate to have strong business support and even more fortunate to see that support amplified during the holidays by local and regional shoppers,” mentioned Smith.
The State of Iowa charges a 6% sales and service tax and offers communities the opportunity to levy an optional 1% on those sales in their community to be used by the taxing authorities for purposes allowed by the voters. The revenue generated from this tax stays within the community and is typically used to fund essential local services, such as infrastructure (roads, bridges, etc.) public safety initiatives (police, fire departments, etc.), parks and recreation, and economic development programs.
“Without LOST, Atlantic’s property tax rate would be astronomical, our parks and streets would be in disrepair and many critical entities in the community would go unfunded. Shopping local feeds directly back to the community for facilities and services most of us take for granted,” John Lund, Atlantic City Administrator stated.
Smith cited the Chamber’s AtlantiCash program as another success story to this boost.
“We sell roughly $70,000 of AtlantiCash every year, with $40,000 of it being sold in November, thanks to Cappel’s Ace Hardware and First Whitney Bank’s support of our Discount AtlantiCash event. AtlantiCash is money that has to be spent in Atlantic. About 90% of those dollars are spent before the year is over, which is just another example of how amazing community support is,” mentioned Smith.
Smith and Lund urge residents and visitors to keep supporting local businesses. These businesses are vital to the community, monetarily supporting various organizations, events, and fundraisers year-round, while also generating jobs and strengthening the local economy. AtlantiCash is available for purchase year-round at the Atlantic Area Chamber office (102 Chestnut St., Atlantic) with cash or check payments only. For more information about the Chamber’s Shop Local Campaign, visit www.atlanticiowa.com.
