Kim Butler, Mesquite’s director of economic development, briefed the City Council on a proposed small‑business support package she called “Spur Mesquite,” saying the goal is to "help Mesquite grow small businesses, to start them, grow them, and expand them." The presentation outlined a seven‑step plan that staff would roll out over three years and that will be submitted as part of the department’s fiscal year 2025‑26 budget request.

Butler told council members the program would centralize services in a single web page, simplify and relaunch the existing façade grant, add a property‑readiness matching grant for permanent building improvements, launch a $5,000 ‘‘boot camp’’ grant tied to required training, and create a phased marketing and mentor network to support startups. She said the city would begin the marketing and some program spending in FY25‑26 and expand services in later years.

The presentation used several local examples to illustrate the expected return on public investment. Butler said Mesquite has “landed over $1,100,000,000 in large project investment” in recent years and highlighted a local shopping‑center redevelopment (Northridge on Galloway) where Dallas Central Appraisal District (DCAD) values rose from about $1,500,000 in 2020 to $2,500,000 today; she said property tax receipts rose about 67% and sales tax receipts from that center rose roughly 177% (city sales tax from roughly $7,000 in one year to about $20,000 in a later year). She told the council that small business programs must be patient, that some projects take years to show a fiscal return, and that ancillary benefits are part of the city’s rationale for public support.

Council members responded with questions and ideas. Councilwoman Elizabeth Rodriguez Ross asked whether grease traps would be eligible under the property‑readiness grant; Butler confirmed they would. Councilman Kenny Green and others suggested temporary incubator uses — such as using vacant school buildings, creating a food‑truck/test kitchen yard near a park, or a modular container marketplace at Front Street Station — and urged consolidation of counseling and mentoring services. Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Casper and others praised the phased approach and emphasized tracking and sustainability; Butler said recipients of city funds would be required to report annually and staff would use key performance indicators to evaluate outcomes.

Butler said the programs will require ongoing funding and staff resources and that the city is legally able to make targeted investments. She closed by noting that the full program will be offered to the council later this summer as a budget request. The presentation produced no formal action; council members directed staff to include the proposal in economic development’s FY25‑26 budget offers and to return with policy details and performance tracking language.