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Flower Mound council approves tree-rebate program, adds homestead restriction and clarifies rebate tiers
Summary
Council approved a town-funded tree rebate program to encourage residential tree planting, capping rebates at $500 per property and requiring recipients be homesteaded owners; the program will be first-come, first-served and run seasonally.
The Flower Mound Town Council on July 7 approved a tree-rebate program designed to encourage residents to plant trees on private property and expand the town’s canopy.
The program, presented by Sarah Luxton, senior management analyst, offers tiered, dollar-for-dollar rebates for trees purchased and planted on Flower Mound property. Luxton said the program was modeled on similar efforts in Denton and Argyle and aims to “encourage residents to plant trees on their own property and to provide a rebate for those trees that they purchase and plant during a specified time.”
Council members discussed several changes before voting. The council struck the phrase “property owner” in favor of a requirement that qualifying applicants be the homesteaded property owner, and it asked staff to remove the ordinance’s minimum purchase-price column and instead present “maximum rebate per tree” tiers. The council also set a per-property maximum rebate of $500. The motion as approved eliminated the minimum-purchase column and clarified maximum rebates of $50 for 5-gallon trees, $100 for 15-gallon trees and $250 for 30-gallon trees; applicants may claim up to five small trees or a maximum rebate total not to exceed $500 per property.
The program will operate on a seasonal schedule: purchases must occur between Oct. 1 and May 1, with the overall planting window running Oct. 1 through May 30; applicants are allowed 30 days from purchase to plant. Participants must have a town utility account and must plant on property in Flower Mound; they do not have to be the property owner but staff clarified the council’s approved change narrows eligibility to homesteaded property owners. Participants must submit proof of purchase and a photo with GIS location to document planting. Funding will come from the town’s tree-preservation fund, which holds mitigation money developers pay when tree loss occurs; staff noted the fund balance is subject to change as operational costs draw down on the account.
Why it matters: The program redirects mitigation funds into resident incentives to expand canopy cover, which officials said improves health, provides shade and can increase property values. Staff gave examples: Argyle budgets roughly $10,000 for its program and Denton about $31,000; Flower Mound’s program budget will be set by the council in a separate step before launch.
Vote and implementation: The motion to approve the program with the council’s edits passed by unanimous roll call. Staff said the rebates will operate on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted and that program details — including a web page listing approved species and recommended local nurseries — will appear on the town website when the program launches.
Speakers for this item included Luxton and multiple council members who asked for changes; the council directed staff to update ordinance language to match the adopted motion before final publication.
