Colleyville giving its residents gift cards to shop local

The city of Colleyville is trying out a new approach to get residents to shop local this holiday season.

The Tarrant County city is mailing out 10,000 gift cards to its residents as part of an economic development effort.

Each gift card is worth $35 and is redeemable at participating Colleyville businesses. The businesses can collect the cards, return them to the city and receive a check for the total amount.

“The Colleyville Christmas Card program is an economic development effort to infuse our local economy with consumers and cash,” said Mayor Richard Newton. “We provide the cards to Colleyville residents, and they choose where to spend it. It’s a great connection between two of our greatest resources, our people and our businesses. Our businesses have invested in Colleyville, and now it’s our turn to invest in them.”

The city will also be providing houses of worship with $50 gift cards to distribute to families in need. They can be used for things like groceries, gas or meals.

“The City is doing everything we can to support our local businesses and families in need this Christmas season,” Mayor Newton said. “We recognize that many are hurting because of the pandemic. Hopefully, these gift cards provide a glimmer of hope during the season of giving.”

The cards are expected to be mailed by mid-November.