With sales tax collections declining in Minden, the city is taking a proactive step to help keep shoppers, and their dollars, in town.
“The month of May is going to be our ‘Shop Minden’ month,” Mayor Terry Gardner announced during the City of Minden City Council Meeting April 1. “[This is] where our social media department is doing a big splash to shop Minden, shop local.”
The city followed up with a Facebook post, offering more details about the program. “Starting May 1, 2019 the City of Minden is launching a new campaign to encourage people to shop local and support local businesses,” the post read.
“At the end of the month, one lucky person will be awarded a grand prize for their participation in the campaign via random drawing! Details about how to participate and be entered in the drawing will be posted on the City of Minden – Making it Work Facebook page on May 1st.”
In addition, the City of Minden Social Media Department has been shooting videos of local businesses, their people, and their stories. “They are going to make people aware of why it’s important to shop in Minden,” Gardner said.
Gardner added the ripple effects, including sales tax collections, of shopping locally are often overlooked. “You don’t realize that when somebody builds a house, they buy all their supplies here in town. So that’s sales tax,” he said. “When we have a new business in town, and they build that business, they buy all their appliances and things like that here.”
Gardner said the Shop Minden initiative is the first of what he hopes are many programs to help the local economy. “The council and myself are looking for ways to help our businesses grow and help our business expand so we can enhance our sales tax and keep Minden people here,” he said.