Monday, October 13, 2025–7:45 p.m.
-David Crowder, WRGA News-
The Rome City Commission has approved an updated Business Improvement District ordinance.
The City received a petition requesting the renewal, modification, and expansion of the business improvement district, created in 2006 and amended in 2015.
According to D.J. Rickman, owner of Giggity’s, who also serves on the Rome Downtown Development Authority, state law only requires 51 percent of the property values represented by their owners in the district to be in favor; that number is 79 percent in the Downtown Rome BID.
“This is a higher percentage than when the BID was originally implemented in 2006, and again when it was renewed in 2015,” he said. “Every First Friday, the block parties, the Façade Grants, and the Impact and Marketing Grants have tangible value to property and business owners. It pays for itself ten times over at the end of the day, when we have all of these programs for BID.”
Through an annual levy on millage upon real property and a surcharge on existing business licenses, the Rome BID enables local property and business owners to finance services and improvements beyond those already provided by the City of Rome.
“The renewal for 2026-2035 would not change the rate, as it would remain at 1.5 mills,” Rickman added. “There would also be no increase in the business license surcharge nor the maximum amount for the surcharge.”
The only change would be the inclusion of three additional parcels on East First Avenue, slightly expanding the BID boundaries.
