Local Schools Reap Benefits From Redistributed Redevelopment Funds

More than $2 million once dedicated to local Redevelopment Agencies has instead flowed into accounts of public entities in Marin County since Gov. Jerry Brown abolished Redevelopment Agencies two years ago.

The end of Redevelopment Agencies was fraught with controversy. Many cities lobbied hard to maintain the agencies because the organizations helped cities draw in new businesses through loans and tax breaks, while supporting existing stores and industry through beautification projects and infrastructure improvements.

Redevelopment agencies financed their activities through a share of the increases in property tax realized over the life of a project area, money that is now being divided among other public entities.

Statewide, $4 billion was to redirected cities, the county, schools and special districts when Redevelopment ended. The state Department of Finance released a report earlier this month detailing where the monies had been sent.

In Marin County, three Redevelopment Agencies were disbanded in 2011: Marin County, Novato and San Rafael. That left more than $2.7 million in residual funds to parce out.

Mill Valley did not operate its own Redevelopment Agency.

K-12 schools saw the largest influx to their coffers, with $1.13 million in funds distributed to school districts in the area. Special districts received more than $560,000 and the county itself got upwards of $434,000 in payments, according to data from the state Department of Finance published by the Los Angeles News Group.  

Check out the chart above to see the public entities in Marin that benefited from the redistribution