Funds should land in classrooms In considering...

Funds should land in classrooms

In considering where to spend redevelopment funds, one should

consider the source of the funds. Redevelopment money comes from what

is called “tax-increment” funding.

Normally, our property tax dollar is split among various agencies,

including schools, the city, the county, libraries, parks and special

districts. After the redevelopment agency is established, any

increase in property taxes, the “tax increment,” goes to the

redevelopment agency, even if the increase is only due to normal

inflation. Meanwhile, schools and others still get only what they got

years ago.

In the case of the Santa Ana Heights Redevelopment Area, the

Newport-Mesa School District gets no more than it got in the

mid-1980s. In the case of the Costa Mesa Redevelopment Area,

Newport-Mesa schools don’t get a penny more than they got in the

1970s.

In all those years, costs of education have increased along with

the cost of everything else. These redevelopment areas continue to

generate students to the schools. Instead of receiving revenues to

cover these costs, the money goes to redevelopment agencies to pay

for things like consultant studies, decorative street lights,

consultant studies, developer handouts, consultant studies, legal

fees and, oh yeah, consultant studies.

The bulk of the funds are diverted from schools and city general

funds. The two local redevelopment agencies would be expected to

divert about one and a half to two million dollars a year from local

schools. Does anyone else find this scandalous?

The Santa Ana Heights Redevelopment Agency should repay funds that

belong in our schools -- as should the Costa Mesa Redevelopment

Agency. Redevelopment agencies are supposed to invest in the

community to maintain property values and contribute to a better

future. What better investment than the education of our children?

SANDRA GENIS

Costa Mesa

* EDITOR’S NOTE: Sandra Genis is a former Costa Mesa mayor.

Costa Mesa knows high-intensity better

What in the world is Eleanor Egan talking about when she describes

“major, high-intensity development projects” in Fountain Valley? Our

biggest construction projects are our senior center with adjacent

condos and apartments and another school site being converted to 52

single-family homes.

Mike Thompson’s RV has expanded its sales activities to both sides

of the freeway, but this was the lowest traffic generation use the

city could find for reusing this site. Sam’s Club is purchasing an

adjacent shopping center to expand its existing store. We’re planning

to develop additional youth sports facilities at Mile Square Park,

and Fountain Valley Regional Hospital has a new master plan coming to

us soon for reorganizing their campus with a new hospital building.

We’re working to redevelop several existing buildings that the city

acquired when we spent millions building the Newhope Extension, one

more roadway project constructed to carry east-west pass-through

traffic.

If you think any of these projects are “major, high-intensity

developments,” then how do you describe the Home Ranch project and

its gargantuan IKEA?

GUS AYER

Fountain Valley city councilman

Keep the music rolling at amphitheater

I would love to see the Orange County Fair officials continue to

use the Pacific Amphitheatre.

I went to the first concert when it was Barry Manilow and went to

at least 10 to 12 concerts in between before they closed it down in

1995, and since the neighbor complaints have dwindled down to almost

zero, I think this is a fantastic venue and I love a place I can go

to a concert and be home five minutes later, as a longtime resident

here in Costa Mesa.

TOM MCCORMICK

Costa Mesa