Hollister’s city manager says he is unsure what impact Gov.
Jerry Brown’s proposal to eliminate the roughly 400 redevelopment
agencies in California
– including Hollister’s – would have on local projects. But
using history as a guide, it could be detrimental.
Hollister’s city manager says he is unsure what impact Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal to eliminate the roughly 400 redevelopment agencies in California – including Hollister’s – would have on local projects. But using history as a guide, it could be detrimental.
“I don’t have enough details to speak intelligently on it,” said Clint Quilter, “so I don’t know what kind of impact it would have. We have been unable to determine how much money will be passed where, but given the way the state has treated local governments, I’m not optimistic.”
Brown acknowledged last week that redevelopment “has done some good things” – he used it to generate economic growth when he was mayor of Oakland – though he said the state can’t continue to backfill local property tax dollars that go to redevelopment projects instead of schools and public safety.
The governor’s plan would take property tax revenue that now goes to redevelopment agencies and shift it to “core local services.” The unknown, Quilter said, is just how much of that revenue would come back to cities in which it was generated – and with what strings attached – and how much would be kept by the state.
“It depends on how it works,” he said. “If the money came back to us as general fund money, I don’t know. If we get very little of it back, it could be devastating.”
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While cities across California this week began to fast-track more than $1 billion worth of redevelopment projects in an attempt to beat the rumored demise of redevelopment agencies, Hollister has no such plans, according to Quilter.
“The projects we have here are good,” he said. “The California Redevelopment Association is taking the position that you don’t want to rush things through.”
If the Hollister RDA were eliminated, projects such as the development of the former Leatherback site along McCray Street and Prospect Avenue as well as further development of the 400 block project at the corner of San Benito and Fourth streets downtown could be stalled.
“It would also imperil any additional improvements downtown,” he said.
The state Legislative Analyst’s Office has said Brown’s plan faces legal obstacles and other hurdles. Analyst Mac Taylor recommended that the legislature pass “urgency legislation as soon as possible prohibiting redevelopment agencies – during this time of legislative review – from taking actions taking actions that increase their debt,” such as approving additional projects.
The Santa Cruz Sentinel and Pinnacle wire services contributed to this report.
