"Their commitment will also enhance the tremendous investments the public and private sectors have already made in Downtown in the past decade," she adds.

Through annual assessments, owners of private commercial properties in the district help fund cleaning and maintenance services, safety initiatives, consumer marketing campaigns and economic development efforts. The budget increase, which required voter approval under the terms of Colorado's TABOR regulations, will increase the BID's annual budget from $2.5 million a year in 2001 to $3.2 million in 2002, with another increase to $3.9 million in 2003.

TABOR is a constitutional amendment that limits government spending in Colorado.