LAKEPORT — The Lakeport Redevelopment Agency is officially redeveloping.
The Lakeport City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to introduce the Voluntary Alternative Redevelopment Project Ordinance, which puts the city of Lakeport in compliance with state AB1X-26 and AB1X-27, which disbands Redevelopment agencies (RDAs) statewide unless they pay a yearly “community remittance” to the state.
The newly introduced ordinance would prevent the Lakeport Redevelopment Agency from being disbanded, Lakeport Redevelopment Director Richard Knoll said.
“It would allow the agency, the city, to continue the work of the redevelopment agency,” Knoll said.
The amount each redevelopment agency must pay to the state is based on the state”s revenue goal of generating $1.7 billion and the amount each redevelopment agency makes, according to a Lakeport city staff report. Lakeport”s community remittance is an estimated $311,534.50.
Because AB1X-27 provides that the money must not come from the city”s general fund, Lakeport will use housing set-aside funds and saved funds from the RDA to pay the community remittance.
The California Redevelopment Association (CRA) and the League of California Cities have filed a lawsuit against the bills on the grounds that they violate Proposition 22, which prevents the state from taking local funds such as the tax increment revenue collected by the Lakeport RDA.
The new ordinance specifies that Lakeport is paying the community remittance under protest, and will not make payment should Assembly Bills 1X-26 and 1X-27 be found unconstitutional in a competent court.
Although the city of Lakeport does not have to pay the remittance until Jan, 1, 2012, AB1X-27 mandates that the Redevelopment Project Ordinance must be passed by Nov. 1, and intent to adopt the resolution must be declared in writing to the State Controller and County Auditor-Controller before Oct. 1.
The ordinance is scheduled for a public hearing and council vote Sept. 20 at 6 p.m.
