City to lose designation after 22 successful years

After over 22 years as a Main Street program, Farmersville will no longer be part of what it proclaims, “one of the most successful downtown revitalization programs in the nation.”

“Over the last four decades, the Main Street movement has proven that downtowns are the heart of our communities, and that a community is only as strong as its core,” states mainstreet.org.

Until this month, Farmersville shared the honor with the 89 other participating historical cities in Texas.

At issue following the departure of the most recent main street manager in May 2021, city leaders and the Community Development board (4B) have been unable to agree to funding for the position.

Because Farmersville is a designated Main Street City with a population that exceeds 5,000 inhabitants, it must have a full-time main street manager says Sylvie Warfield, a staff member with the National Main Street Program based in Chicago.

The duties of the main street manager are to encourage historical preservation while also working to draw visitors to the downtown area. Areas of emphasis are design, promotion, economic restructuring, and organization.

For the past year, city council negotiated with the Economic Development and Community Development boards to find funding solutions for the position, which the city estimated would pay about $62,000 annually.

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