DID YOU KNOW That Your Tax Dollars Don’t Pay the City Planning Department Staff?

For the last couple of years, Steve Ballmer former Microsoft CEO, has dedicated himself to compiling and putting together a more detailed financial picture of local, state and national governments including revenue, spending and employment. “He thought it made sense to first find out what government does with the money it raises. Where does the money come from and where is it spent? Whom does it serve? And most importantly, what are the outcomes?” That is how USAFacts.org was born.

Launched recently it made me think of delving further into how our local City of Redwood City was actually financed. USAFacts.org breaks down revenues for different government entities at a first level between two types of revenues: tax revenues and non-tax revenues. And this is where in the case of Redwood City things get very interesting. It turns out that certain departments in particular the Planning department aren’t effectively funded by our tax dollars but instead by fees that the developers pay.

What this means is that the more developers submit projects and pay for Planning Department staff to review their projects, the more people the Planning Department can hire and the bigger the Planning Department can grow. It is no longer the case, that you and I the residents of Redwood City pay the Planning Department Staff, it is Developers that do that. Hardly surprising then that Planning staff is so helpful and supportive of each and every project put forth. For a sample of a Reimbursement Agreement see the photos above.

Although these type of agreements started to be used about ten years ago; the reality is that their corrosive effect is only now becoming extremely obvious. It was realistically a process that took time as old-time employees used to evaluating with different criteria retired or moved away and a new guard more attuned to the implications of these agreements came on board. So the reality is that it is no longer the goal of the Planning department to look out for what is best for local residents. Like any other bureaucracy first and foremost it is concerned with maintaining and growing its own existence.

Not to repeat myself but the bottom line is the Redwood City Planning Department is paid and effectively works for developers! I don’t yet have enough of a grasp of all the City of Redwood City revenues to understand whether in fact it isn’t only the Planning Department but all of City staff including the City Manager, City Attorney and City Council member stipends and expenses that are also financially dependent on ongoing development project reviews and approvals. As Steve Ballmer probably understands, once we know where the money comes from and where it is spent, we really shouldn't be surprised by the outcomes.