Rugby Business Improvement District (BID) operated by Rugby First is an unnecessary stealth tax on the businesses of our lovely town.

Rugby First think they've done a brilliant job for you, want your vote for another 5 years, and with their glossy vote yes business plan will say anything to make you think it's a great idea again. But can you really believe what they say?

It's had 20 years to prove itself as a great investment but has failed to demonstrate this, it’s nothing more than another tax collected by the Council.

Visit the vote NO campaign Facebook group here.

If you would like to be put in contact with the campaign against Rugby BID then contact us.

10 reasons to vote NO to Rugby BID

Businesses have had enough of Rugby First and here are 10 reasons to vote NO.

1. BID is an additional stealth tax on our businesses with little or no return from this forced expenditure, and we simply do not need it in Rugby.

2. Complete lack of transparency and accountability for OUR money.

3. Poor communication and decision-making processes to spend OUR money.

4. The BID has failed to deliver on its own 2021-2026 Business Plan we voted on.

5. The BID is financially unviable, and significant amounts of public money from the Council is bailing the BID out.

6. Given Rugby First Ltd company governance failures, the BID company is not being run properly and legally for us.

7. Non levy payers are Directors running the company and making spending decisions, but this isn’t right and is even against the company’s own rules in its handbook.

8. Rugby First cannot be trusted, they have let us down and do not deserve our support for another 5 years of mismanagement with OUR money.

9. The Council has block voting power that could force the BID on us again.

10. There are alternatives to BID without this extra tax on businesses when are overheads are high enough already. Note the Council is funding town events and has already said CCTV won’t be lost if BID goes.

We don’t want another 5 years of this extortion.

Vote NO to end this stealth tax.

Vote NO to Rugby BID.