Open Rewards is a mobile application that tracks purchases within the community when users upload their receipts. The program rewards a percentage of each customer's purchase via their preferred payout method (i.e. Venmo, Paypal, check, etc). City staff engaged the partnership with the Open Rewards program scheduled to launch late October, offering 5-10% cash back on all purchases made at participating Roanoke food and retail establishments. No action is required from participating restaurants and the administration is handled by Open Rewards. The subscription to the platform is $4,740, and the City will provide a rewards fund not to exceed $50,000, which will be held in an Open Rewards account for distribution. Any unused funds at the end of the program will be returned to the City, with the option to extend the program until the funds are depleted.

Bastiat Liberty & Property Rights Analysis

This motion is scored as EXPANDS_GOVERNMENT (Impact Weight: 2.2/10). Under the Bastiat Liberty Watchdog Index, measures that increase tax rates or fee schedules, issue new debt or Certificates of Obligation, expand regulatory/zoning restrictions on private land use, or authorize unbudgeted spending expansions reduce an official's Freedom Score when voted YES (and reward dissenting NO votes).