Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/122777
CASTING FATE TO THE COUNTY Future extra funding for downtown Sarasota remains in question as a committee prepares to review the Community Redevelopment Agency. Photo by Norman Schimmel ANALYSIS: CITY APPEARS POISED TO OPT OUT OF FUTURE CRA PLANS By Stan Zimmerman City Editor The Sarasota city commissioners hurled a THE 'SNEAKY GOLD MINE' curve ball at the Sarasota County Commission The CRA is a legislative creation, giving cities Monday, April 15. and counties a way to earmark property taxes They had agreed earlier to empanel an 11-per- for long-range goals without dipping into their son committee to evaluate the future of the general revenues every year. Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), It uses a clever trick to raise the money. Back which is set to expire in 2016. when the CRA was On Monday, by a 4-1 established in 1986, it vote, they said the city Before this committee marches on, "froze" the property "will not be financially assuming there will be money coming tax income to the city participating." from us, there needs to be a different way and county from the properties in the speciCommissioner Wil- of doing this. fied area. Any increase lie Shaw was the Shannon Snyder Commissioner in revenue since then lone vote against the City of Sarasota has gone to the CRA. new policy.