Vernal widens its downtown façade grants as the program's money runs down

Vernal's council on June 17 voted 5-0 to widen eligibility for its downtown façade grant program. The minutes say about $1 million remains of the roughly $2.25 million originally available. ^[1]

Resolution 2026-05 lets projects already under construction, but not yet completed, be considered by the city's Façade Grant Committee. Projects fully completed before applying remain ineligible, and the committee keeps authority to approve or deny each application, according to the minutes. ^[1]

The minutes say about $3.1 million in private investment has been supported by about $1.2 million in public reimbursements. ^[1]

What the budget sets aside

The fiscal 2027 budget for the CRA Downtown fund lists $200,000 for façade grants, down from $300,000 in the fiscal 2026 final budget. The fiscal 2025 actual column lists $146,244. ^[2]

The fund's fiscal 2027 resources are $260,000: $200,000 labeled as use of beginning fund balance and $60,000 in interest. It lists no new tax revenue. The fund also budgets $36,000 in principal and $7,500 in interest on a May 2022 bond, and a $16,500 affordable housing contribution. ^[2]

The fiscal 2026 final budget column also listed $240,000 for a R.I.S.S. grant, which is not budgeted for fiscal 2027. ^[2]

The downtown funds' balances

The audited CRA Downtown Improvement fund ended fiscal 2025 with a balance of $4,833,199, of which $1,738,102 was restricted and $3,095,097 was assigned. Its balance fell $174,172 during the year. ^[3]

A separate vitalization fund, which the budget calls the CDA/Vitalization fund, recorded $246,689 in revenue and no spending in fiscal 2025 and ended the year with $370,202. Its fiscal 2027 budget lists $250,000 in downtown and Town Centre tax increment, $150,000 in Town Centre expense and a $100,000 increase in fund balance. ^[3][2]