Business Improvement Districts, or BIDs, are special assessment districts that are established by groups of local businesses as a revitalization tool for commercial neighborhoods such as shopping malls, or regional business districts.  BIDs are public/private sector partnerships that perform a variety of services to improve the image of their cities and promote business. 

There are two BIDs in Huntington Beach:

Downtown Business Improvement District:  On September 7, 2004 the City Council, upon request of Downtown merchants, approved Ordinance No. 3661 to establish the Huntington Beach Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) to market the downtown commercial area. Downtown businesses are assessed based on their size, location and business type.  Assessments currently range from $80 to $1404 per annum. Funding decisions are made by a BID Advisory Board, elected from the businesses paying assessments. 

Tourism Business Improvement District:   The Tourism Business Improvement District was originally formed in 2002 by as the Hotel/Motel BID, with an assessment levied on all hotels and motels in the City to fund activities to promote Huntington Beach as an overnight destination.  The Hotel/Motel BID was disbanded in September 2014 upon Council approval to establish the Tourism BID to market Huntington Beach as a tourist, meeting and event destination, thereby increasing overnight room sales.  The annual assessment rate is 4% of gross short term room revenue (stays of less than 31 days). These funds are collected as a separate itemization with the monthly Transient Occupancy Taxes (TOT) paid to the City of Huntington Beach. The Visit Huntington Beach Board of Directors also serves as the TBID Owners' Association.