AUBURN — Incentives might be better at improving the city’s housing stock than property codes and fines, some councilors said Monday.

Councilors discussed several ways of improving downtown’s real estate prices, including property maintenance codes, revamped Community Development Block grant programs and extending the city’s Downtown Tax Increment Finance District.

Housing codes could be one part of these improvements, councilors said.

“But I don’t think we can look at this issue alone without considering economic development issues as a whole,” Councilor Robert Hayes said.

But Mayor Jonathan LaBonte said it’s important to do something.

“I have heard from a number of property owners who are in properties that have lost value,” LaBonte said. “They are concerned that they have lost value, and they are concerned that people surrounding them are walking away from buildings.”

Councilors took copies of a 2002 report on the last effort to create a property maintenance code and may consider creating a committee to come up with ways to encourage redevelopment and housing maintenance.

The city now has various ordinances that deal with accumulated trash or debris,  lack of heat, health and safety hazards and keeping multiple unregistered vehicles. It does not have standards that require lawns to be regularly mowed and weeded, or paint, siding or windows to be in good shape.

“To me, a property maintenance code is one vehicle by which we could advance the conversation of recovering our tax base, creating stability in the market so someone has a reason to invest,” LaBonte said. “It could be that the we have better luck creating carrots and guidelines, and the idea of a maintenance code just gets kicked to the curb.”

The city circulated an eight-question survey this summer to ascertain if residents had noticed any poorly-maintained properties and whether they favored new city rules.

Out of 82 responses, most were against new property maintenance rules: 47 out of 82 were against regulations regarding lawn height and 55 were against paint or siding requirements. When asked what kind of property should be regulated — rentals, commercial properties, residential properties or foreclosures — a 38-percent majority selected “none of the above.”

Councilor Tizz Crowley said she was contacted by many residents before Monday’s meeting.

“One side talked about issues of personal freedom, that the government should not be telling them what to do,” Crowley said.

But most agreed that something had to change, Crowley said.

“I agree,” Crowley said. “Your rights are fine, until they begin to interfere with mine. Even the folks that spoke about government minding their own business did have concerns about having some protection, about safety issues and the ability to peacefully enjoy their home.”

LaBonte favored creating a group study about what would need to be done to create a property maintenance code. Councilors could revisit the issue in January at their goal-setting session.

City Manager Clinton Deschene said councilors could discuss expanding the city’s downtown TIF district to also include New Auburn in January.

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