In September 2025, the City Council adopted updated Economic Development Incentive Guidelines and Criteria establishing the framework through which the City evaluates and provides incentives to support high-quality development, redevelopment, business attraction, and other projects that advance the City’s strategic priorities. The policy identifies Historic Downtown Mansfield as a specific target location and recognizes activation, infill development, and restoration of the historic core as priorities of the City Council, staff, and residents. The policy also includes several existing programs applicable to downtown businesses and property owners, including façade improvements, restaurant recruitment, community activation, pop-up/business incubation, grease trap assistance, and retail rent assistance. On April 27, 2026, the Downtown Subcommittee held an initial discussion regarding potential updates to several of the City’s incentive programs available to support investment and business activity within Historic Downtown. This meeting will serve as a continuation of that discussion, allowing the Subcommittee to further evaluate potential revisions and provide direction to staff. Concepts under consideration include expanded façade and tenant improvement assistance, White Box grants, storefront improvements, rehabilitation financing, public-private co-investment opportunities, incentives for the restoration and continued occupancy of buildings, support for legacy businesses, and a pathway for successful pop-up businesses to transition into permanent downtown locations. Staff has further refined several of these concepts and developed preliminary criteria intended to provide greater clarity regarding eligible uses, funding levels, lease and occupancy requirements, and protections for the City’s investment. Feedback from the Subcommittee will be used to further refine the programs prior to bringing any recommended amendments forward for formal consideration.

Bastiat Liberty & Property Rights Analysis

This motion is scored as RESTRAINS_GOVERNMENT (Impact Weight: 2.7/10). Under the Bastiat Liberty Watchdog Index, voting YES on measures that cap or reduce ad valorem tax burdens, expand taxpayer exemptions, retire debt early, enforce competitive bidding caps, or remove regulatory/zoning barriers to private property rights earns a positive Pro-Liberty score.