Residents urge City of Victoria to use TIF funds to add downtown parking

Residents, property owners and downtown business operators told the Victoria City Council at a workshop listening session that tax increment financing, or TIF, should be used to add parking in the city core.

Speakers focused on two ideas: using available TIF dollars tied to nearby redevelopment projects to finance a parking ramp that blends into downtown, and short-term measures to ease congestion. "Using TIF increment financing to help alleviate the parking problem downtown" was how Gina Holman described the approach, and multiple commenters said the funding window is limited and may be lost if the council waits.

Mary Mavison, who said she owns several downtown properties, urged the council to consider a "tuck under ramp" near Steger Lake Lane that would fit the local topography and could include a covered deck or gathering space on top. Mavison also warned that TIF availability can vanish once permits are pulled: "We've used TIF ... at least 15 years of it goes a 100% to the developer," she said, arguing the city should deploy the tool to support both redevelopment and existing downtown businesses.

Residents and business operators described visible demand: Pat Murray highlighted mobility benefits and suggested designated golf-cart parking near Kirk Locking Park to help seniors; Kristen, who runs Victoria Flats, said she regularly sees private lots filled and city employees not observing two-hour limits; Terry Hartman said traffic engineers warn that reaching roughly 85% capacity at peak hours signals a loss of timely opportunity to act.

Speakers consistently tied their appeals to economic vitality. "Having parking with TIF funding would also be a great incentive for keeping the taxes down," said Kimberly Reeves, a real-estate professional. Several speakers pointed to proposed projects (identified in testimony as the Gannon and Roars buildings) as sources of TIF revenue the city could leverage to build central parking that benefits current businesses and new development.

The mayor reminded the audience that the workshop was a listening session and that council and staff will consider public comments alongside survey responses, open-house feedback and studies before making policy decisions. No formal action was taken at the workshop. The mayor later entertained a motion to adjourn; the motion was seconded and the body signaled in favor, and the workshop was closed.

Next steps noted during the session: council will fold these comments into its planning process and review them with staff analyses and financial studies; no vote or directive on TIF or particular projects was made at this meeting.