This Holiday Season, Give Norfolk a Gift Too
By: Melissa Garcia
It’s almost that time of year again. The lists are getting long, the calendar’s filling up, and somebody in your family is already asking what you want for Christmas. Before it all gets too hectic, I want to make a small pitch: when you can, shop here in Norfolk. I know, you’ve heard it before. But let me tell you why it matters more than you might think.
Your dollar goes further than you’d expect
When you buy a gift from a local shop or grab dinner at a Norfolk restaurant, that money doesn’t just sit in the register. The owner pays an employee, who might be your neighbor. That employee buys groceries down the street. The shop hires a local accountant, gets something printed nearby, sponsors a Little League team. Your money keeps moving around town.
There’s research behind this, too. A national study by Civic Economics found that independent retailers put about 48 cents of every dollar back into their local economy. For restaurants, it’s higher at over 60 of revenue.
It’s part of attracting new people to town
Think about what you’d look for if you were moving to a new town. Sure, a good job. But also a downtown worth exploring, a great coffee shop, a place to take your parents to dinner when they visit. That’s what local businesses give us. They’re a big reason people choose Norfolk and a big reason the rest of us are proud to call it home.
And those businesses are where a lot of our friends, kids and neighbors work. When they do well, they hire. When they hire, families put down roots here.
And yes, it’s about sales tax
This is the part many people don’t think about. Norfolk’s sales tax is 7.5%. Most of that goes to the state, but 2 cents of every taxable dollar stays right here with the city. So, when you spend $100 on gifts in Norfolk, about $2 helps pay for things we all use: streets, parks, and public safety. An example: the voter approved a half-cent increase that’s paying for the expansion and renovation of our police facilities.
Norfolk is a regional shopping hub. Over the last several years, people from outside the city have paid somewhere between 42 and 44% of our sales tax. That means folks from all over Northeast Nebraska are already choosing to shop here. Local retail spending spreads our tax burden far beyond those with 68701 zip codes to everyone who uses the services our tax dollars pay for- whether they are here for work, a weekend shopping trip or following a kiddo’s activity schedule.
And that revenue isn’t guaranteed. Every purchase made here helps keep things steady.
It doesn’t have to be all or nothing
Americans are expected to spend more than a trillion dollars this holiday season. You don’t have to move all of yours to Main Street to make a difference. Pick up one gift at a local shop. Buy a gift card to your favorite restaurant. Meet a friend at a local coffee shop instead of hitting the drive-through. Tell someone about a Norfolk business you love. Small choices add up.
So this year, before you click “add to cart,” ask yourself whether you could find it right here at home. And your friendly economic developers will keep working to broaden the choices you have to make that decision a little easier.
Every dollar you spend locally helps a business owner, supports a job and is an investment in making our hometown a place we can all be proud of. That’s a gift that sticks around long after the decorations come down.
