By Brittany Hanson/Garden Grove Journal
The City of Stanton decided to defy Sacramento Tuesday night by opting not to pay the full amount of requested Supplemental Educational Revenue Augmentation Funds [SERAF], which is due March 1.
Terri Marsh, Stanton’s director of administration services, said that it was not a matter of having the money, that funds could be found if needed and that it could and had been budgeted for.
However, in the previous year, the Redevelopment Agency of Stanton had sent $4 million to Sacramento which city council members — also serving as directors of the development agency — say they felt was never properly accounted for.
“It was supposed to go to education, but we have no idea where they put it all,” said David Shawver, mayor pro tem.
According to the website of Best Best and Kreiger Attorneys at Law, www.bbklaw.com, “On July 28, 2009, the Governor signed into law AB X4 26 modifying the Community Redevelopment Law. AB X4 26 permanently shifts approximately two billion dollars away from redevelopment agencies to the Supplemental Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund (“SERAF”) in each county. These funds will ultimately be provided to K-12 school districts and county office of education.”
The city Placentia has already done the same thing, according Shawver.
As for punishment for failure to pay in full, Omar Dadabhoy, the community development director, said, “It’s really up to them [Sacramento] for what they would want to do. They could take away our RDA or audit.”
“I would welcome an audit here, come on down open everything up,” said Carol Jacobs, city manager.
Council member Ed Royce Sr. said he didn’t really know what to when faced with the predicament of whether or not to send the money.
Members Al Ethans and Carol Warren said that they supported not sending any money to the state capitol.
“How about we send them a Washington [one dollar] or better yet a Lincoln, one penny,” joked Warren. “They can consider it a donation.”
