The The Town of Century held a second special workshop Monday with county officials to learn more about the possibility of forming a Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).
Upon declaration of an area as blighted, the CRA works to improve conditions. As property tax values rise, most of the increase is funneled back into the redevelopment area for further improvements.
An estimate provide by Escambia County showed Century might, in a best case scenario, receive about $5,300 in tax funds for the first year of a CRA that included a full maximum 80 percent of the town. When asked what could be done by the CRA during its first year with $5,300, Escambia County CRA Division Manger Clara Long replied, “absolutely nothing”.
“Like Cantonment just don’t have the funding,” she said. “We just can’t do major improvements in that area yet, but it’s growing.”