The Century Town Council, serving as the Local Planning Agency (LPA), has 60 days to submit a recommendation whether the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) is or is not in agreement with the town's comprehensive plan, according to Town Planner Debbie Nickles at Monday night's council meeting. Aug. 31 will end the 60-day review period.
Nickles has been working with Peggy Fowler of Peggy Fowler and Associates, meeting with citizens of Century at four publicly advertised meetings where citizens had the chance to submit their ideas for improvements in the 500-acre area of the town designated as the CRA.
At the end of 60 days, if the CRA plan is deemed in agreement, it will be submitted to the Century Town Council and Escambia County taxing authorities.
Following a public hearing, the council will vote whether or not to approve the plan at the Sept. 10 council meeting. If approved, the council will hold a workshop prior to the Monday, Sept. 17 council meeting to decide what percentage of the taxes will go into the CRA Trust Fund. Fifty percent is the minimum and 95 percent is the maximum allowed by Florida state law.
Once those decisions are made, there will be a first reading on Sept. 17 and a second reading on Oct. 1 of the ordinance before it will be adopted by the town of Century.
Nickels said that Florida statute Chapter 163 says you can do a minimum of 50 percent to a maximum of 95 percent and the ordinance will have to say what percentage you will be putting back into the CRA.
“If the redevelopment trust fund ordinance is adopted in 2018, which I'd like to do, Florida Law requires there to be a base tax year,” explained Nickles. “Because everything will be complete in 2018, 2018 will be the base tax year. There will be no money deposited into your redevelopment trust fund until ad valorum taxes are paid in 2019. What they will do is the difference in ad valorem taxes paid between 2018 and 2019, which we're hoping the property taxes will go up, will be a percentage of that money that will go into the tax fund. It's a percentage of the increase that goes in.”
The county will also put some money in because their taxes are paid in the CRA area, according to Nickles.
Nickles said she was hoping to use 2017 as the base tax year because the values were so low in that area, but unfortunately Florida law does not allow that, but the year that the ordinance is actually adopted sets the tax base year.
A copy of the CRA Plan will be available to the public at the Century Town Hall following its adoption Oct.1, 2018.
