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Council doubles storefront repair cap to $5,000 for Las Cruces small businesses; program to allow repeat awards for separate incidents
Summary
The City Council approved an amendment to the small business storefront repair program to raise the per-incident award from $2,500 to $5,000 and to remove limits on the number of times a business may apply for separate incidents, citing rising repair costs and ongoing business damage.
The Las Cruces City Council on Monday approved changes to its Small Business Storefront Repair Program that raise the maximum award per incident from $2,500 to $5,000 and remove a prior restriction on how many times a single business may apply, provided each application documents a distinct incident.
Selena Morales, deputy director for Economic Development, presented the amendments and said the changes respond to rising repair costs and ongoing property damage experienced by small businesses. "Recognizing the ongoing challenges faced by small businesses and the increasing cost of repairs we recommend increasing the maximum grama amount from 2,500 to $5,000," she told the council.
Morales said the program was adopted in 2023 with federal ARPA funding and that to date the program has assisted 89 businesses, has disbursed $152,000, and has $247,000 remaining in the fund. All funds must be used by December 2026, she said.
Public commenter Donna Stryker, who said her property sustained more than $20,000 of damage, thanked the council and said the larger award would make a tangible difference: "Five thousand is a lot more than 2,500," she said.
The council voted to approve the change (Resolution 25-129). The motion carried with recorded yes votes from Councilors McClure, Matisse, Graham, Kran and the mayor; Councilor Flores was recorded as absent for that vote. Councilors described the program as one element among broader efforts to address crime and property damage and emphasized the change does not replace other city strategies.
