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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2 - AB 1484 TRUE UP PROCESSREQUEST FOR SUCCESSOR AGENCY ACTION MEETING DATE: AUGUST 20, 2012 TITLE: AB 1484 TRUE UP PROCESS CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDED ACTION Receive and file. DISCUSSION CLERK OF THE COUNCIL USE ONLY: APPROVED ? As Recommended ? As Amended ? Implementing Resolution ? Other CONTINUED TO FILE NUMBER On August 2, 2012, the City of Santa Ana acting as Successor Agency responded to the Orange County Auditor-Controller's Office for a demand for payment in the amount of $1,160,097, and complied with such request, stating our disagreement with the calculation. The Department of Finance (DOF) considers the property tax increment revenues received by the former redevelopment agencies from July 2011 through January 2012 as part of the Redevelopment Property Tax Trust Fund (RPTTF) that can be distributed to various taxing entities. However, the RPTTF did not exist until February 1, 2012; the effective date of AB 1x 26. DOF's calculation does not factor in the possibility that former redevelopment agencies may have needed to utilize the tax increment revenues received during July 2011 through January 2012 to make enforceable obligation payments due during the same period. In addition, the Successor Agency is involved in pending litigation regarding various agreements included on the Recognized Obligation Payment Schedules (ROPS) that DOF has disallowed as enforceable obligations. The Successor Agency is still disputing DOF's decision, but has been unsuccessful in engaging DOF in further dialogue to remedy the problem. Therefore, the amounts approved by DOF on both the January to June 2012 and July to December 2012 ROPS are not reflective of the true obligation amounts for each respective period. If the correct ROPS amounts are used in the AB 1484 "True Up" process calculation, the County would have not needed to demand the return of any prior tax increment revenues from the Successor Agency. 2-1 AB 1484 True Up Process August 20, 2012 Page 2 Pursuant to the attached letter to the County Auditor-Controller dated August 2, 2012, the Successor Agency reserved the right to pursue all available legal remedies in opposition to any wrongful demand for payment that may be made by the County Auditor to the Successor Agency pursuant to the true-up process in Section 34183.5(b)(2)(A). Nancy T. ards Interim Exe utive Director Community Development Agency NTE/kg Exhibit 1. Copy of Correspondence to OC Auditor-Controller 2-2 MAYOR Miguel A. Pulido MAYOR PRO TEM Claudia C. Alvarez COUNCILMEMBERS P. David Benavides Carlos Bustamante Michele Martinez Vincent F. Sarmiento Sal Tinajero August 2, 2012 Jan E. Grimes Chief Deputy Auditor-Controller Orange County Auditor-Controller 12 Civic Center Plaza, Room 200 Santa Ana, CA 92702-0567 RE: AB 1484 DEMAND FOR PAYMENT Dear Ms. Grimes: CITY MANAGER Paul M. Walters CITY ATTORNEY Sonia R. Carvalho CLERIC OF THE COUNCIL Maria D. Huizar Via Hand-Delivery The City of Santa Ana acting as Successor Agency to the former Community Redevelopment Agency ("Successor Agency") is in receipt of correspondence dated July 27, 2012 demanding payment in the amount of One Million One Hundred Sixty Thousand and Ninety-Seven Dollars ($1,160,097.00) by August 3, 2012. The Successor Agency has enclosed a check in the requested amount, but hereby asserts its disagreement with the calculation and submits this check under protest. The Department of Finance (DOF) considers the property tax increment revenues received by the former redevelopment agencies from July 2011 through January 2012 as part of the Redevelopment Property Tax Trust Fund (RPTTF) that can be distributed to various taxing entities. However, the RPTTF did not exist until February 1, 2012; the effective date of AB lx 26. In addition, DOF's calculation does not factor in the possibility that former redevelopment agencies may have needed to utilize the tax increment revenues received during July 2011 through January 2012 to make enforceable obligation payments due during the same period. In addition, the Successor Agency is involved in current and pending litigation regarding various agreements included on the Recognized Obligation Payment Schedules (ROPS) that DOF has disallowed as enforceable obligations. The Successor Agency is still disputing DOF's decision, but has been unsuccessful in engaging DOF in further dialogue to remedy the problem. Therefore, the amounts approved by DOF on both the January - June 2012 and July - December 2012 ROPS are not reflective of the true obligation amounts for each respective period. If the correct ROPS amounts are used in the AB 1484 "True Up" process calculation, the County would have no need to demand the return of any prior tax increment revenues from the Successor Agency. CITY OF SANTA ANA 20 CIVIC CENTER PLAZA • P.O. BOX 1988 SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA 92702 EXHIBIT 1 2-3 County Auditor-Controller August 2, 2012 Page 2 The Successor Agency reserves the right to pursue all available legal remedies in opposition to any wrongful demand for payment that may be made by the County Auditor to the Successor Agency pursuant to the true-up process in Section 34183.5(b)(2)(A). If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact Nancy Edwards at (714) 647-5360 or Francisco Gutierrez at (714) 647-5420. Sincerely, PAUL M. WALTERS City Manager cc: Nancy T. Edwards, Interim Executive Director, Community Development Agency Francisco Gutierrez, Executive Director of Finance & Management Services Sonia Carvalho, City Attorney Frank Davies, Manager, County Auditor-Controller Property Tax Unit 2-4