Source: City of Richardson.
The Richardson City Council met June 22, 2026. One of the topics reviewed was the "FY27 Matching Fund Beautification Project Requests". According to the city, citizens, businesses, civic groups, and HOAs may partner with COR to improve the landscape on public property. COR matches partner group funds 100%. COR maintains the landscape after project completion. Improvements often are made in parks, on medians, and at neighborhood entry points. So far, so good. So what was the City Manager asking City Council to provide direction on?
The ask appeared on this slide:
- FY27 MFB Consideration
- One FY27 MFB project request proposes landscape renovation on private property
- Proceeding with this project would require a more robust contractual agreement between COR and the partner group
- Easement — Would need to be executed and recorded with the county
- Survey would be required, and would add to cost
- Platting process would be followed
- COR would not be able to provide continuing maintenance of the landscape after the completion of the project
- Projects are historically only performed on public property
- Is this a direction council wishes to take?
Source: City of Richardson.
Council Member Jennifer Justice was quick to answer.
You asked us a question there at the end about council consideration with respect to private property and HOAs. I get that question all the time when I visit HOAs in the panhandle about, you know, we wish we could do this. And, you know, what can the city do? And our policy, I think, has been this is private property. And so we cannot match for some of the reasons you've pointed out in the presentation, which is we can't come on and maintain it afterwards and those sorts of things. So I think we should maintain that policy. But I do hope that there's a way that we can look for opportunities where we may have existing easements, for example, where we could go on and maintain them. And so it's quasi public in some ways because of our easement, because I would really like for us to find a way to support those with the matching beautification. So I don't know whether a project like this, if that would qualify, but I would like for us to figure out a way to address that gap that we have in supporting the HOAs across the city.Source: City of Richardson.Council Member Corcoran, Mayor Pro Tem Hutchenrider, and Mayor Omar all shared Justice's interest in exploring whether and under what conditions private, mandatory-membership HOAs could participate in the Matching Fund Beautification (MFB) Program for use on HOAs' private property. Only Council Member Dan Barrios was against the idea: "I am not a fan of the idea of using public money on private land."
With majority support, City Manager Don Magner will ask city staff to draw up conditions that would allow private, mandatory-membership HOAs to participate in the MFB Program.
I am with Barrios on this. I share his concern about using public tax dollars to fund private improvements. However, my objection could be lessened if the City acquired a perpetual real-property interest in the land, perhaps through an easement, deed restriction, or covenant running with the land that preserves the improvements and allows city access for maintenance. I don't want a future HOA board undoing city-funded landscaping after a decade—for example, by cutting down trees planted by the city. Even then, I would not necessarily support every application. I would still object if the beautified common area is physically or visually inaccessible to the public, making any public benefit difficult to identify. If a private HOA considers this condition too onerous, well, so be it. HOAs are not required to participate in the MFB Program.
Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
"Barrios speaks plain.
Public money, private land.
Keep the lines intact."
—h/t ChatGPT
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