What is a Downtown Business Association?

The Sussex Downtown Business Association (DBA) is a volunteer group of business owners that reside in the Business Improvement Area (BIA). They are elected by the members each year. In order to better understand their role and how they serve your downtown business, it is important to understand the difference between a BIA and a DBA. 

Business Improvement Area (BIA)

A BIA is a geographical area whose boundaries have been set by the province and maintained by the municipality. Any business located in this area has a levy attached to their taxes that is collected and it becomes the responsibility of the Downtown Business Association to spend in ways that benefit the BIA. Here is a map of our Sussex DBA.

Downtown Business Association

A DBA consists of an elected board of BIA members who manage the levy money collected to improve the BIA. Any member in good standing can put their name forward at the AGM to serve on this board.

The concept behind a BIA is that they provide the structure for the downtown business community to design and manage the activities and the infrastructure in the downtown area, revitalizing it for the benefit of all. 

The Business Improvement Areas Act was passed as law by the New Brunswick Government in 1981 which gives the local government (in our case, the Town of Sussex) the authority to establish the BIA. From here, the DBA is born and bound by by-laws to represent the interests of the BIA members. And so began a beautiful relationship between the town council and downtown businesses!

Each year, the levy rate is determined by the DBA and communicated to the town in the form of a budget. The budget will include the details of the activities that the DBA wishes to undertake and can include: beautification, infrastructure updates, greenery, lights, benches, and even promotional campaigns!

The DBA is only as successful as members are involved. If you are interested in being a part of the board or have suggestions and ideas, please do not hesitate to reach out, we would love to hear from you!