(a) Purpose.
(1) The purpose of this article is to encourage economic development through the revitalization and preservation of the city’s historic properties, including residential properties, and to assist in accomplishing the following goals:
(A) Revitalize older neighborhoods to build and capture a stable tax base.
(B) Support private sector investment in historic properties.
(C) Encourage home ownership.
(D) Promote pedestrian oriented, ground floor retail in the urban historic districts.
(E) Support new uses for vacant and deteriorated historic buildings.
(F) Encourage low and moderate income families to invest in historic districts.
(2) In order to further the purpose of this division, the director shall:
(A) provide education and assistance to owners of historic properties;
(B) coordinate activities with other departments to publicize the incentives in this article;
(C) coordinate with existing programs in other departments; and
(D) seek funding from outside sources to assist low and moderate income home-owners in rehabilitating and maintaining owner-occupied historic properties.
(b) Authority for tax exemptions. The tax exemptions in this article are adopted pursuant to the authority provided in Article 8, Section 1-f of the Texas Constitution and Section 11.24 of the Texas Tax Code.
(1) These tax exemptions apply only to city property taxes and not to taxes owing to other taxing units.
(2) Nothing in this article relieves a person from the responsibility to apply each year to the appraisal district for a tax exemption pursuant to the requirements of the Texas Tax Code.
(c) Authority for conservation easements. The historic conservation easement program in this article is adopted pursuant to the authority provided in Chapter 183 of the Texas Natural Resources Code. (Ord. Nos. 21874; 22026; 22392; 23506; 24584; 25509; 27016)