Tallahassee’s community redevelopment agency better act fast if it wants to get any new projects approved, lobbyist Ron Book warned the City Commission.
“The future is not great for new ones,” Book, the city of Tallahassee’s lobbyist said at last week’s meeting. “Any projects in the pipeline … look at them very quickly.”
Community redevelopment agencies, originally designed to help improve blighted neighborhoods, have been targeted by House Speaker Richard Corcoran along with Enterprise Florida as dubious uses for taxpayer dollars.
Twin bills introduced this session would place a moratorium on any new CRAs, and radically restrict the way existing ones function until they are ultimately phased out.
“The future is going to change,” Book said. “They are going to be significantly reduced from doing things they are able to do now.”
How far the bills make it this session is in doubt. Sen. Tom Lee, R-Brandon, failed to get his version of the bill considered by the Community Affairs Committee he chairs this week, and it is not scheduled to meet next week. And the bill has three other committee stops.
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