Incentives

Chapter 380 of the Texas Local Government Code allows The City of Garland to offer a range of incentives for economic development, including the ability to rebate some of the city's portion of the 8.25% sales and use tax collected from business entities located in the jurisdiction.

Commercial property owners and tenants in the Downtown Garland Historic District have the opportunity to make improvements to their buildings with assistance from the Downtown Revitalization Program.

The Exterior Improvement Grant Program is a City of Garland Economic Development initiative that can help fund exterior building improvements for qualifying projects. The goal of the grant is to promote economic development and further induce private investment in business enterprises located within Garland’s major corridors.

Property Assessed Clean Energy (TX-PACE) gives property owners an affordable way to modernize their buildings by financing efficiency upgrades with minimal upfront investment.

The City Council allocated Neighborhood Vitality Matching Grant (NVMG) funds for Garland neighborhood groups to improve the physical features of their neighborhoods. 

The City of Garland has historically utilized Tax Increment Finance Zones (TIFZ) as a powerful vehicle to develop and redevelop qualified projects based on City goals and objectives. The City of Garland has three tax increment financing (TIF) districts to promote the development and redevelopment of the following key geographic areas: Downtown and the area around the Forest-Jupiter Light Rail Station, Interstate-30 Corridor, and Tax Increment Financing Zone 3.

Utility bill credit for commercial customers who install high efficiency lighting.

For central A/C or heat pumps at least 16.0 SEER & 12.0 EER or (2023) 15.3 SEER2. Total system change-out is required.

The Texas Historical Commission administers two related tax credit programs for rehabilitation of historic buildings.

A utility bill credit is available to Garland Power & Light (GP&L) Residential “Electric” Customers and applies to energy efficiency projects completed on homes served by GP&L

A utility bill credit is available to encourage GP&L Residential Customers to install high-efficient window air conditioning units with an Energy Star Rating.

Economic Development & Diversification In-State Tuition for Employees is a program that allows employees—and those employees’ family members—of a qualified business considering a relocation or expansion of its operations in the State of Texas to pay in-state tuition rates at public institutions of higher education in the state without first establishing residency.

Established by the 74th Legislature in 1995, The Skills Development Fund was designed to better utilize the public community and technical college system in Texas as well as other training organizations and have them partner with businesses throughout the state (with priority on small businesses) to train workers to meet the labor needs of employers and the regional labor market.

The Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) awards “deal-closing” grants to companies considering a new project for which one Texas site is competing with other out-of-state sites. The fund serves as a financial incentive for those companies whose projects would contribute significant capital investment and new employment opportunities to the state’s economy.

The Texas Enterprise Zone Program (EZP) is a state sales and use tax refund program designed to encourage private investment and job creation in economically distressed areas of the state.

The Texas Commission on the Arts Art Respond – Cultural District Project is a competitive grant program that provides project assistance grants on a short-term basis and may include administrative costs directly related to the project. This program is designed for projects that focus on significant cultural tourism projects.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may provide funding for communities and organizations to revitalize contaminated properties. 

Established in 2017 and administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury, Opportunity Zones are federally designated low‑income areas where investors can receive tax benefits for reinvesting eligible capital gains through a Qualified Opportunity Fund.