The California State Association of Counties has slammed part of a Democratic budget plan in which the state would use $250 million of “pass-through” payments out of property tax increment that had been allotted to counties from the now closed redevelopment agencies.
Paul McIntosh, executive director of the association, said in a letter to legislative leaders Wednesday that the last-minute budget maneuver will have a “perverse” effect of shrinking funds available for core government services.
“Simply put, California counties do not have the capacity to absorb the loss of these funds,” McIntosh said in the letter.
The Sacramento Bee quoted Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, saying the money should be divided up like any other property taxes and adding that counties have benefited generally from the shutdown of redevelopment agencies.
Gov. Jerry Brown and the leadership of the Legislature’s Democratic majorities have been working behind closed doors on a budget compromise expected to be a introduced on the floors in both the Assembly and Senate before Friday’s deadline. If lawmakers miss the deadline, state law from a recent proposition passed by voters mandates they will lose pay.
