Public & private
January 6, 2011 1:01 PM Subscribe
Can you think of some common examples where a municipality promotes a private business in return for a benefit to residents?
I'm thinking in terms of a business that offers a product or service at a discounted rate to residents in return for promotion of that rate by the municipality. For instance, some municipalities sell discounted amusement park or sports tickets to residents, thereby encouraging them to go to Six Flags or to patronize the local pro sports team. Or maybe a business pays to sponsor a town's recreational activities in return for getting its name in the promotional fliers or on a ballteam's uniform. Can you think of other examples where this happens?
I'm thinking in terms of a business that offers a product or service at a discounted rate to residents in return for promotion of that rate by the municipality. For instance, some municipalities sell discounted amusement park or sports tickets to residents, thereby encouraging them to go to Six Flags or to patronize the local pro sports team. Or maybe a business pays to sponsor a town's recreational activities in return for getting its name in the promotional fliers or on a ballteam's uniform. Can you think of other examples where this happens?
Best answer: Perhaps not quite the same, but I often see signs on landscaped green spaces at intersections which say something like: "This City of Arlington property is maintained by Andrea's Flowers".
posted by Dragonness at 1:11 PM on January 6, 2011
posted by Dragonness at 1:11 PM on January 6, 2011
Would the lottery count? Lottery tickets are sold for a profit in privately-owned stores. The rest of the money, in turn, funds whatever the hell it is lottery ticket money funds. I think that may be the reverse of what you're describing, however.
posted by griphus at 1:22 PM on January 6, 2011
posted by griphus at 1:22 PM on January 6, 2011
Would tax breaks count? Because there's about seventeen zillion examples of municipalities and even larger political entities giving specific tax breaks to specific companies, on the theory that the money that the business spills over the edges will be more than the taxes that might be lost (especially if the business won't come to that area at all without the breaks).
posted by Etrigan at 1:29 PM on January 6, 2011
posted by Etrigan at 1:29 PM on January 6, 2011
Best answer: It's super common. Locally we've recently had concrete and tree removal services get promoted by the city for giving discounts to residents for city-mandated Ash tree removal and sidewalk repairs. Quasi-governmental agencies like downtown development authorities or chambers of commerce do a lot of this type of thing at small scale to promote local businesses, too.
posted by pjaust at 1:41 PM on January 6, 2011
posted by pjaust at 1:41 PM on January 6, 2011
novalis_dt, touched on the recent contest to woo Google, there are a handfull of municipalities that are participating in it, al lof which are essentially hoping to woo Google to install super speed internet for their citizens.
In Duluth MN, we have a city-wide magazine put out by the city, aimed not at tourist but at citizens, funded entirely by local advertisements.
posted by edgeways at 1:42 PM on January 6, 2011
In Duluth MN, we have a city-wide magazine put out by the city, aimed not at tourist but at citizens, funded entirely by local advertisements.
posted by edgeways at 1:42 PM on January 6, 2011
One semi-relevant model I've seen in my local area deals with the promotion of Vertical-Axis Wind Turbines. The local municipality is promoting the use of the turbines, developing zoning ordinances to regulate the use of these turbines in the community, and featuring these turbines at their beach access areas.
The end goal is to create a local wind turbine corporation (public-private partnership) that residents of the municipality will have first dibs to buy shares, when they are eventually offered. Because the technology is still developing and there are other partners, this is not exactly as simple as the relationships you may be looking for in your question), but it's an interesting process to watch.
(search North Myrtle Beach & wind turbines for more info)
posted by Kronur at 1:57 PM on January 6, 2011
The end goal is to create a local wind turbine corporation (public-private partnership) that residents of the municipality will have first dibs to buy shares, when they are eventually offered. Because the technology is still developing and there are other partners, this is not exactly as simple as the relationships you may be looking for in your question), but it's an interesting process to watch.
(search North Myrtle Beach & wind turbines for more info)
posted by Kronur at 1:57 PM on January 6, 2011
The Olympics / World Cup etc, and various other sporting events.
posted by MuffinMan at 12:35 AM on January 7, 2011
posted by MuffinMan at 12:35 AM on January 7, 2011
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Then there's Google, Kansas.
posted by novalis_dt at 1:08 PM on January 6, 2011