The recession has taken a toll on this west-side suburb, where a number of large retail outlets have shut down in recent years.
Now RC Willey might leave the city, a potential blow that has led Mayor Russ Wall to encourage residents to shop locally as a way to keep the next big store from closing.
In his mayor’s message posted on the city’s website, Wall said the CEO of the home-furnishings store indicated in a meeting that Taylorsville residents tend to shop at the RC Willey in Murray.
"The reason our stores were selected over others was that they were not performing as well as other stores in the chains," Wall wrote. "The performance is affected by Taylorsville residents not shopping in their Taylorsville stores."
Stores that have closed in Taylorsville as corporations downsize include KMart, Albertsons and Circuit City, he said.
RC Willey CEO Scott Hymas said Tuesday that the Taylorsville location has been "a great store for us" and no final decision has been made on its fate. He denies saying more Taylorsville residents shop at the Murray store than their hometown store.
The prospect of losing RC Willey troubles Wall. The loss of a major retailer can reduce sales tax revenue by $300,000 to $400,000, which could require a 10 percent hike in property tax to make up the difference, he said.
Other cities also encourage their citizens to patronize local businesses.
