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"SHOP
ELGIN FIRST!" refers to a commitment to our local
community. Rather than simply promoting "shopping local,"
the campaign suggests our larger role as community stewards. By
thinking local first, we can make choices that have a dramatic impact
on our community, our economy, our environment, and our future.
While it will rarely be possible to buy everything we need or use
from local merchants, we are urging our residents to first think
local in order to maximize the impact of daily actions and purchasing
decisions.
Compared
to national retailers, local independent businesses return more
money to the local economy. Choosing local over non-local has 2-3
times more financial impact in our community, promotes more reinvestment
locally, creates quality jobs, and encourages more donations to
local charities and causes. Local, independently owned businesses
are the foundation of our economy, the lifeblood of our community
and should be supported by our families. Local businesses routinely
support our local community programs, such as local scouts, sports
teams, charities, and civic clubs. Moreover, by increasing the number
of independent, local economic transactions, we can increase sales
tax receipts to finance our parks, roads, police, arts, transportation,
and open spaces. For every $100.00 you spend in Austin, the City
of Austin receives $1.50. For every $100.00 you spend in Elgin,
the City of Elgin receives $1.50. Let’s assume, for the moment,
that the average household that receives this brochure spends $400.00
on taxable items outside of the City of Elgin every month. That
equates to an accumulation of $432,000.00 per year in revenue that
other cities spend to improve the quality of life for their residents
which could just as easily be used here to improve our own community.
As fuel prices continue rise, shopping
local will have a direct economic impact on each of us. With gas
prices exceeding $3/gallon shopping in Austin, not accounting for
numerous stops and locations, will cost an additional $10 in fuel
consumption. Shopping Elgin First saves you money, money free for
purchases you can make in the stores of Elgin.
The
SHOP ELGIN FIRST! campaign asks the community to
be supportive of local, independently owned businesses. This will
help enhance the livability of the community, the stability and
diversity of the local economy, and support the retention and expansion
of independent, locally owned businesses through increasing awareness
about the personal, community, and economic benefits of choosing
local first.
As
a good steward of the local community Shopping Local First
is the correct thing to do for Elgin, your neighborhood and your
family!
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