Of course it’s down to the LA to spend right. i understand how taxation works, and don’t mean to sell tickets to the place.
York CC raised around £36m in business rates last year, and spent £1m on their Chief Exec team. Museums and heritage have to fight to stay alive, and have until recently been punished by rates.
Good cities balance tourism, localism, trade and so forth toward a wellbeing economy. York continues to struggle with the balance. IMHO places are made distinctive and interesting by their people: I suppose global forces are at work...