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Council hears business complaints after downtown event sponsorship is canceled amid social-media backlash
Summary
Speakers and council members raised alarm that social-media criticism of a sponsor led to cancellation of a July 30 downtown event and the loss of roughly $10,000 in pledged sponsorships, with council debate over whether outside agitators or resident concerns drove the cancellations.
Ryan Cottingham, a downtown business owner who gave public comment, told the South Lyon City Council he was frustrated that a detour tied to current road construction and recent events would further harm local businesses. “You all absolutely could have at least stopped 1 more hurdle from happening, and you chose not to do it,” Cottingham said, adding his business employs about 40 people and that customers are not driving into affected areas.
The discussion moved to a planned July 30 downtown event that the DDA had been organizing in partnership with the Lyon Area Chamber. Council members and DDA Director Kim Rivera said the event drew roughly $10,000 in sponsorship commitments at multiple levels but that one sponsor prompted heavy negative social-media response. Rivera said the sponsorship levels included “I think, 4 at the high level sponsorship at 750 apiece,” and that she did not have a total revenue figure “in front of me.”
Council member Kurzweil argued the social-media reaction forced the chamber and some businesses to withdraw and called the result “a loss” for downtown merchants. “By the time she got done collecting money, it probably could have been 15 to $20,000 coming into this city,” Kurzweil said, adding that the criticism was driven in part by people who “don’t even live in South Lyon.”
Rivera said social media had become the focus of the conversation and that DDA staff and chamber representatives initially tried to proceed, but ultimately canceled the sponsorship because attention had shifted away from promotional aims. Rivera also outlined ongoing DDA work — inventorying historic buildings with Main Street Oakland County, creating a construction toolkit and QR-code mailings for businesses, and planning promotional events such as an art walk and “Southline after hours.”
Council members debated responses. Some framed the cancellations as harm to struggling downtown businesses; others urged sensitivity to residents’ concerns about the particular sponsor. Council member Bogart thanked Rivera for her outreach and noted the absence of some public commenters who had raised the issue earlier. Finance Director Tiernan and others said the city would examine communications and legal/financial limits on what the city can do in response.
The council did not take formal action on the sponsorship itself; Rivera said the DDA would continue outreach and that businesses could contact the DDA to participate in future promotions.
