Editorial: Local dollars help holiday shopping

With local retailers reporting good sale figures for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday and better consumer confidence heading into the shopping season, 2015 looks as though it will be green for many communities including Fallon.

Black Friday and the days before it ignited both the local and national rush to the stores for great bargains, Fallon’s annual Live Local Fallon campaign should definitely put people into the mood for buying and giving and receiving their passports stamped. The aim to the Live Local Fallon campaign is to keep those shopping dollars here in Churchill County. We all benefit from local shopping.

To put it into perspective, monthly taxable sales are critical to Churchill County, and every dollar spent elsewhere is one less dollar that benefits the community. For example, according to the Fallon Chamber of Commerce, tax dollars spent in Reno or Carson City are lost to Churchill County. For every $100 spent, $5.26 stays in the county. Annual taxable sales average approximately $27 million, and if 10 percent leaves the area, $2.7 million winds up in the hands of other government entities like those in Carson City and Washoe County.

The Chamber, as the representative of many local businesses, encourages shoppers to experience the flavor of our many unique shops as well as the national and regional retailers in hopes that people will be able to find the right gift for that special someone.

Each year has been tight, and who knows what 2015 will bring.

The Chamber states that by shopping in Fallon, people support local jobs, help businesses to donate money to charitable causes and reduce on fuel consumption to either Reno or Carson City.

The 85th annual Christmas tree lighting, which attracts hundreds of children and their parents, will precede numerous craft fairs on Friday and Saturday.

Although Internet shopping and traveling to the Reno malls have been strong options for holiday shopping, the Fallon Chamber of Commerce wants local shoppers to keep as many of their dollars here in Churchill County.

Two weeks remain before Christmas, so shoppers have plenty of time to take a stroll downtown or visit one of the many stores on Williams Avenue.

As with any holiday season, organizations have been soliciting the community for toys. Every year the Iron Order Motorcycle Club, The Wishing Tree, the Marine Corps Toys for Tots and the Salvation Army seek toys to give to children who may otherwise have a bleak Christmas. The Nevada Highway Patrol, for example, is having a Cam the Cruiser on Saturday to support the county’s senior citizens.

As we do every year, we encourage residents to shop locally and support worthwhile causes to help others.

Editorials written by the LVN Editorial Board appear on Wednesdays.