By NICK BUDD
Hays Post

At Tuesday’s Hays City Commission work session, commissioners tabled a discussion on potential changes to the city’s Community Improvement District policy due to the absence of Mayor Henry Schwaller. Commissioners will now discuss the topic at the Jan. 15 work session.

The current policy allows retailers to use a CID, which creates a special sales tax within the district, for expenses that will cost at least $250,000 and are used to promote economic development and tourism in Hays. According to Assistant City Manager Paul Briseno, each city can decide its own unique regulations in regard to a CID.

CIDs have been passed at the Holiday Inn Express in Hays and most recently at the mall. Commissioners assumed the CID at the mall would compliment other funds provided by the developer, but they did not provide any additional capital for the projects. After voting against the CID last month, Schwaller brought up the idea of revisiting the issue. According to agenda materials, one idea is to limit the amount of a project, by percentage, that can be funded by a CID.

The additional 1 percent sales tax increase at the mall will go into effect in April. According to the developer, improvements at the mall will begin once the holiday season wraps up.