SACRAMENTO – In the wake of the release of Gov. Jerry's Brown's proposed new budget, which seeks to eliminate redevelopment agencies statewide, the State Controller's Office said Monday it is launching a review of 18 such agencies to obtain facts on redevelopment funds are used and the extent to which they comply with laws governing their activities.

“The heated debate over whether RDAs are the engines of local economic and job growth or are simply scams providing windfalls to political cronies at the expense of public services has largely been based on anecdotal evidence,” Chiang said. “As lawmakers deliberate the governor’s proposal to close RDAs and divert those funds to local schools and public safety agencies, I believe it is important to provide factual, empirical information about how these agencies perform and what they bring to the communities they serve.”

There are a reported 425 redevelopment agencies statewide, located both in counties and cities. In lake County, there are three – in each in the cities of Lakeport and Clearlake, and the county's redevelopment agency that encompasses much of the Northshore, from Upper Lake to Clearlake Oaks.

The 18 RDAs selected by the State Controller's Office for the reviews represent urban, suburban and rural communities. They are geographically diverse and represent a mix of varying populations.

The reviews will look at, among other things, how the RDAs define a “blighted” area, whether they are appropriately paying for low- and moderate-income housing as required by law, whether they are accurately “passing through” payments to schools within their community, and how much RDA officials, board members and employees are being compensated for their services.

The chosen RDAs are:

• Redevelopment Agency of the City of San Jose (Santa Clara County)

• Redevelopment Agency for the County of Riverside

• Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (Los Angeles County)

• Richmond Redevelopment Agency (Contra Costa County)

• Redevelopment Agency of the County of Sacramento

• Redevelopment Agency of the City of Pittsburg (Contra Costa County)

• Redevelopment Agency of the City of Fremont (Alameda County)

• Pasadena Community Development Commission (Los Angeles County)

• Redevelopment Agency of the City of Fresno (Fresno County)

• City of Palm Desert Redevelopment Agency (Riverside County)

• Placentia Redevelopment Agency (Orange County)

• Parlier Redevelopment Agency (Fresno County)

• Hercules Redevelopment Agency (Contra Costa County)

• Anderson Redevelopment Agency (Shasta County)

• Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Citrus Heights (Sacramento County)

• Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Calexico (Imperial County)

• Community Development Agency of the City of Coronado (San Diego County)

• City of Desert Hot Springs Redevelopment Agency (Riverside County)

To assist lawmakers in their budget debates, the reviews will be completed in early March, Chiang's office reported.

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