John Harris judges the success of redevelopment in two ways - what it has brought to Manteca and what it has eliminated.
While some seeking election in Tuesday’s municipal races refer to RDA assisting business as “corporate welfare” Harris sees it a bit differently.
“Imagine the El Rey still being boarded up and filled with rats and other venom,” Harris said.
The El Rey Theatre was gutted by firing after the screening of “The Towering Inferno” on Aug. 6, 1975. It stood for 20 plus years as a boarded up burned out shell just a stone’s throw from the heart of Manteca at Yosemite Avenue and Main Street.
Over the years the homeless and teens would break inside the building. Authorities would routinely find empty alcohol bottles, drug needles, and other trash inside.
It was converted into Kelley Brothers Brewing Co. just over 10 years ago through a $2 million private sector investment plus a $250,000 RDA loan to complete the financing package. The loan has been paid back.
Harris is convinced that without RDA’s critical $8 million loan for Spreckels Park infrastructure that was paid back ahead of schedule with interest that Spreckels Sugar and its four 15-story silos and warehouse would still be standing today as a vacant and unused complex attracting the homeless and vandals.
Harris is one of four candidates seeking two City Council seats in Tuesday’s election. The others are fellow incumbent Vince Hernandez and challengers Samuel Anderson and Richard Behling.
The retired probation officer said Manteca’s economy would be in worse condition than it is today without the jobs and the retail it helped create. The retail is important as it keeps consumer dollars that generate sales tax for the city general fund in Manteca plus attracts money from people in other communities coming to shop at Bass Pro, Kohl’s, Costco and other stores.
He also noted people when debating RDA only look at the high profile projects such as Big League Dreams forgot how RDA has had an impact on other segments of the community including rehab loans for senior homeowners as well as affordable housing for senior citizens. So far, RDA dollars have helped built three such complexes as well as purchase and rehab the low-income affordable apartments known as Union Court on Wawona Street and Union Road.
Harris believes the city should explore all avenues “if it is illegal” to provide relief to the general fund by financing what it can with RDA money. He noted the city currently underwrites a code enforcement officer using RDA funds. He said if there is a way to legally do the same for some police staff, held support such an effort.
As for creating a third RDA area out of 10 neighborhoods hit hard by the foreclosure crisis, Harris said he will want guarantees that it won’t have a negative impact on the city overall.
His concerns include the fact the property - which has dropped significantly in value since the time the city started considering forming the new RDA area - will be sending significantly less to the city in property taxes if it were formed in 2011 than it was in 2008. That’s because unlike other RDA areas the base year for property tax split wasn’t lower than the year when the tax increment started going to the RDA.
In other words, if the overall property tax revenue to the city form those impacted areas dropped $250,000 annually and it is put into an RDA, a rebounding economy would send assessments back up to recapture that $250,000. But with an RDA in place it would go there instead of the general fund along with tax increments.
In the past that hasn’t been an issue with the base year. The 50 percent plus decline in residential property values has altered the playing field.
“I’m not in favor of doing it (expanding the RDA) if there is a negative downside,” Harris said.
While some seeking election in Tuesday’s municipal races refer to RDA assisting business as “corporate welfare” Harris sees it a bit differently.
“Imagine the El Rey still being boarded up and filled with rats and other venom,” Harris said.
The El Rey Theatre was gutted by firing after the screening of “The Towering Inferno” on Aug. 6, 1975. It stood for 20 plus years as a boarded up burned out shell just a stone’s throw from the heart of Manteca at Yosemite Avenue and Main Street.
Over the years the homeless and teens would break inside the building. Authorities would routinely find empty alcohol bottles, drug needles, and other trash inside.
It was converted into Kelley Brothers Brewing Co. just over 10 years ago through a $2 million private sector investment plus a $250,000 RDA loan to complete the financing package. The loan has been paid back.
Harris is convinced that without RDA’s critical $8 million loan for Spreckels Park infrastructure that was paid back ahead of schedule with interest that Spreckels Sugar and its four 15-story silos and warehouse would still be standing today as a vacant and unused complex attracting the homeless and vandals.
Harris is one of four candidates seeking two City Council seats in Tuesday’s election. The others are fellow incumbent Vince Hernandez and challengers Samuel Anderson and Richard Behling.
The retired probation officer said Manteca’s economy would be in worse condition than it is today without the jobs and the retail it helped create. The retail is important as it keeps consumer dollars that generate sales tax for the city general fund in Manteca plus attracts money from people in other communities coming to shop at Bass Pro, Kohl’s, Costco and other stores.
He also noted people when debating RDA only look at the high profile projects such as Big League Dreams forgot how RDA has had an impact on other segments of the community including rehab loans for senior homeowners as well as affordable housing for senior citizens. So far, RDA dollars have helped built three such complexes as well as purchase and rehab the low-income affordable apartments known as Union Court on Wawona Street and Union Road.
Harris believes the city should explore all avenues “if it is illegal” to provide relief to the general fund by financing what it can with RDA money. He noted the city currently underwrites a code enforcement officer using RDA funds. He said if there is a way to legally do the same for some police staff, held support such an effort.
As for creating a third RDA area out of 10 neighborhoods hit hard by the foreclosure crisis, Harris said he will want guarantees that it won’t have a negative impact on the city overall.
His concerns include the fact the property - which has dropped significantly in value since the time the city started considering forming the new RDA area - will be sending significantly less to the city in property taxes if it were formed in 2011 than it was in 2008. That’s because unlike other RDA areas the base year for property tax split wasn’t lower than the year when the tax increment started going to the RDA.
In other words, if the overall property tax revenue to the city form those impacted areas dropped $250,000 annually and it is put into an RDA, a rebounding economy would send assessments back up to recapture that $250,000. But with an RDA in place it would go there instead of the general fund along with tax increments.
In the past that hasn’t been an issue with the base year. The 50 percent plus decline in residential property values has altered the playing field.
“I’m not in favor of doing it (expanding the RDA) if there is a negative downside,” Harris said.
