GARDEN GROVE : Mayor to Solicit Merchants’ Prizes

Disappointed that more merchants aren’t donating prizes for the “Buy in Garden Grove” holiday shopping campaign, Mayor W.E. (Walt) Donovan said he plans to visit many of the businesses and personally ask owners to join the program.

City officials have touted the shopping campaign as a way to perk up the sluggish local economy and to bolster the city’s budget, hurt by a $1-million decline in sales tax revenue in each of the last two years.

Officials sent letters to 2,500 local businesses. About 25 merchants attended last week’s planning meeting at the Community Center.

“I’m disappointed in the turnout,” Donovan said after the meeting. “I’m tired of people saying that the city doesn’t do things for business. All they have to do is donate one prize worth $25. The city is doing all the rest and providing all the materials.”

Random drawings will be held in participating stores in the first week of January.

In exchange for donating prizes, merchants will receive free advertising in local papers. Additional ads will be shown on cable television programs to lure shoppers from Fountain Valley, Westminster, Huntington Beach, Midway City, Los Alamitos, Stanton, Rossmoor and parts of Cypress.

Officials hope to increase spending at auto, retail, and service businesses, and hotel and restaurants.

Businesses participating in the program will display a BIGG (Buy in Garden Grove) poster in their windows to show shoppers they can enter the drawing. Shoppers can enter their name on each visit.

The campaign, which kicked off Saturday, ends Dec. 31.

Sweepstakes winners will be announced at the annual State of the City program at the Hyatt Regency Alicante on Jan. 15.

The city receives 1 cent of every dollar that is spent in Garden Grove.

Sales taxes, along with property taxes, pay for most of police and fire services. The city’s share of sales taxes was about $11.25 million last year.

“There’s no substitute for shopping in your own hometown,” Donovan said. “It makes sense to put your sales tax dollars back into your community where they will benefit the people living there.”