Municipal Services District

In December 2016, City Council voted to adopt an ordinance establishing a Municipal Services District (MSD) for the Central Business District (CBD). The ordinance went into effect on July 1, 2017.
  
An MSD is a special service district authorized by state law. Properties within the district receive additional services beyond what is provided in the rest of the city. To pay for these services, properties within the MSD will pay an additional tax of 7 cents on $100 of property valuation, generating an estimated revenue of more than $375,000 per year. Property owners can check to see if their property is located within the MSD on this online map.

Under the MSD service plan, the funds raised would provide additional services only in the MSD, including:

  • Ambassadors for additional safety and security
  • Supplemental cleaning
  • Amenities for enhanced beautification
  • Enhanced economic development
  • Targeted marketing and branding

Background

The city had been considering an MSD for many years. In 2014, City Council entered into an agreement with Wilmington Downtown, Inc. (WDI) to evaluate the establishment of an MSD. In February 2016, WDI presented its final report and recommendation concerning the establishment of the MSD. 

In March 2016, the city held a special public input meeting concerning the possible establishment of an MSD. A public hearing was held in October, 2016.

Advisory Committee

A 14-member, council-appointed advisory committee made up of property owners, residents and businesses within the MSD was established to make recommendations of what services will be provided. The City Council will make the final determination based on these recommendations. City Council approved the membership of the MSD Advisory Committee in June 2017.

The committee held its first meeting on June 29, 2017. The group meets every third Thursday of each month at 3 p.m. in The Harrelson Conference Room located at 115 North 3rd Street, 5th Floor  

Committee members:

  • H Thomas Davis, III, Chair
  • Terry Espy, Vice Chair
  • Ryan Belcher
  • William Bryden
  • Nancy Bullock
  • Christopher Clark
  • Anne Coffee
  • Bobby Hamelburg
  • Laurence Nadeau
  • Samantha Sawyer
  • McKay Siegel
  • John Sneed
  • Ray Worrell
  • Elizabeth Wright

MSD Advisory Committee

Management of Services

In June 2017, council awarded a contract to WDI to manage the services provided in the MSD. 

WDI manages the 70-block MSD on behalf of the city, providing services to improve downtown's vitality. The centerpiece of its service are MSD Ambassadors who offer a wide range of services to the community, including:

  • Graffiti Removal
  • Pressure Washing
  • Litter Removal
  • Biohazard Removal
  • Safety Escorts
  • Hospitality Assistance
  • Business Contacts
  • Street Light Outage Reporting
  • Street Outreach – Connecting the Unhoused to Service

Learn More

Resources

MSD Consolidated Report(PDF, 330KB)

MSD Tax Rate(PDF, 260KB)

MSD Budget(PDF, 79KB)

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