The City of Duncanville is committed to the promotion and retention of high-quality development in all parts of the City; and particularly for the enhancement of the Main Street Corridor, Camp Wisdom Rd., Cedar Ridge Dr., I-20 Service Road Commercial Area, and US Hwy 67. These objectives are generally served by the enhancement and expansion of the local economy. The City of Duncanville will, on a case-by-case basis, give consideration to providing grants and tax abatements as an incentive for economic development in Duncanville.
Policy Statement and Guidelines | Design Incentives Grants Application
Sales Tax Grants
For new Duncanville businesses or business expansions, the City and/or the Duncanville Community and Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC) may provide an application with an economic development incentive consisting of annual grants based on a percentage of the sales and use tax receipts received by the City and the DCEDC from the sale of taxable items. The City is authorized by Section 380.001, Local Government Code to provide such grants. The DCEDC is authorized by the Development Corporation Act to provide such grants.
Freeport Exemption Incentive
The City Of Duncanville has not adopted the Freeport Exemption as provided by the Texas Constitution, Article VIII, Section 1-j, and section 11.251 of the Tax Code. The City instead adopted a model form of the agreement. The City may grant a new business that relocates to the City of Duncanville an equivalent of the Freeport Exemption for its property if the business receives a Freeport Exemption from Dallas County and/or the Duncanville Independent School District. Under the form model, the City contracts with the applicant to provide an annual grant in the amount equal to the ad valorem taxes that the recipient would have received if the City had adopted the Freeport Exemption for the tax year. The City may condition the incentive upon the creation of employment, construction of improvements, certain development, continued operations for a stated period, or other public considerations.
Tax Abatements
For new Duncanville businesses or business expansions, the City and/or the DCEDC may offer tax abatement to a particular applicant. Specific considerations will include the degree to which the individual project furthers the goals and objectives of the community, as well as the relative impact of the project.
Tax abatements will be available for both new facilities and structures and for expansion or modernization of existing facilities and structures.
Cost Participation in Infrastructure and Waiver of Development Fees
The City and/or the DCEDC may, by contract, agree to participate in the cost of the extension, construction, or reconstruction of public infrastructure necessary for the development of a project. In addition, the City may approve the waiver of permit and development fees. Grants will be screened by the incentive application submitted and a return on investment analysis.
Economic Development Cash Grants
The City and/or the DCEDC may, by contract, make available cash grants to new, expanding, and relocating companies that are planning to make a new investment in Duncanville. Grants will be screened by the incentive application submitted and a return on investment analysis. These grants may be used for facility renovation, site preparation, engineering studies, or any other use needed by a new, expanding, or relocating business.
Design Incentive Program
The Design Incentive Program was established to encourage redevelopment of maturing business corridors by providing financial resources to small business owners for exterior property improvements. The Program consists of four different grants including paint, signage, landscaping, and facade. In order to qualify for any one of these grants, a business owner or building owner must meet the general participation program requirements as well as the individual grant requirements. The DCEDC will evaluate each application and make recommendations to the City Council. The City Council will make the final approval on all grants.