The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON - A new dona- tion program allows local businesses to help improve downtown Dayton, to the tune of four dollars for ev- ery dollar donated. Funds received by the Dayton De- velopment Task Force will be used for improvement projects downtown.

Through a process created by the Washington State Main Street Program, busi- ness owners in Washington can make contributions to the Task Force for downtown improvements and, in turn, receive a 75% credit on their Washington State Business and Occupation taxes the fol- lowing year.

If a local business contrib- utes $1,000 to the group in 2013, it is eligible for a $750 credit against its 2014 B&O taxes. Thus, a net $250 do- nation generates $1,000 for downtown projects.

The Dayton Development Task Force, which is celebrat- ing its 30th anniversary this year, is responsible for many of the improvements made in downtown Dayton during that time. Some of those include the large London plane trees along Main Street and the modern sidewalks be- neath them. The Task Force also spawned the group that renovated the Liberty Theater and it recently completed the playground next to the His- toric Depot.

In the late 1980s, the Task Force undertook a huge proj- ect that transformed down- town Dayton: completely rebuilding the street and the utilities below it, along with the sidewalks, lights, benches and those trees.

According to Task Force member and former president Marcene Hendrickson, funds received through the donation program must be used within a specified boundary around downtown Dayton. Hen- drickson, working with Main Street Program staff, estab- lished a boundary map. The area in which funds can be used runs from the Touchet River on the west to the in- tersection of Main Street and Patit Road on the east. It also runs from Clay Street on the south to Commercial Street on the north.

Within those boundar- ies, the Task Force can use donated funds for projects on property owned by local gov- ernment entities or by private non-profit organizations. The group is making preliminary plans for development of the remainder of the parking lot next to the playground, east of N. First Street. They also hope to eventually develop the parking lot west of N. First Street.

For more information on the tax credit program, contact Hendrickson at (509) 382-4860.