San Mateo County schools should get back excess redevelopment revenue

Not yet passed by the California Legislature, then signed by the Governor, but our schools should gain back cash overages that were taken away because of the redevelopment fallout. Counties affected include San Mateo, Napa and Marin Counties.  Nice going Assemblyman Jerry Hill for moving forward a trailer bill to fix this financial error. !!!

"The Daily Journal (San Mateo)/Michelle Durand, 8/27/12.  "Hill proposal will save county more than $1 Million."

Adequate and good schools need money

San Mateo and two other counties will not forfeit extra property taxes to the state under a proposal by Assemblyman Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, that tweaks an early redevelopment cleanup bill and means more than $1 million annually for local schools, cities and special districts.

The trailer bill eliminates the provision that counties with excess Educational Revenue Augmentation Funds after funding local schools not receive the balance. For San Mateo, Napa and Marin counties, that part of the redevelopment agency bill passed in June meant the loss of $3.2 million.   

$1 million will help

.... “There’s an equity issue here. They said no one was going to be harmed, which is not true. Plus, taking money from the county violates Proposition 1A,” Hill said, referencing the prohibition on the state reallocating property taxes that would cause counties to lose revenue.

Hill said he got a commitment from Senate Budget Chair Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, to correct the mistake and met with the other counties involved and the departments of finance and education to find out how it got in. Hill claims the two departments placed the language in as a way to hold on to a little more money in the budget.

....  Hill anticipates the trailer bill passing out of the Legislature during the session’s final week before heading to the governor’s desk. Gov. Jerry Brown will have until Sept. 30 to either veto or sign the bill."   Read Article.

Posted by Kathy Meeh