So, it's true, our city leaders would rather spend the $17 million CFD tax money on a city hall than police and fire services.

Bet they'll have to pass another new tax after its done to pay for some more police officers to post at city hall so no one steals the copper wiring or bronze statues.

In order to sort out what parts of this comment thread were right and which parts might be a bit off, I asked Pam Ehler, the City's Finance Director, to provide a thumbnail description of the CFDs in Brentwood. Bottom line: there's a measure of truth in each. To read the response from Pam and from Business Services Manager Kerry Breen, go to "Community Facilities District money and the civic center" under "WebExtras" on the main menu, or copy and paste this URL in your address bar: http://www.thepress.net/bookmark/3238050

Rick Lemyre

All CFD's allow for fire and public safety personnel and CFD #2 was created specifically to fund the third firefighter which the city has subsequently stopped funding yet continues to collect the money. Why? Where is this money going and how can the city collect it for anything other than its specified use? (hint--it can't, legally.) The Civic Center funding was mentioned in the funding of only two of the CFD's. If you read staff reports and bond prospectus' you can learn the truth, too!

I don't know who gave you your information, but here is the information copied from staff's official report to City Council members when they created CFD#3:

"CFD No. 3 will provide a revenue stream for the purchase and maintenance of open space facilities and services, for increased fire suppression and emergency medical services (EMS), to fund police facilities, police protection and public safety services, to fund the maintenance and operation of flood and storm drainage facilities and services located within the City of Brentwood, and to fund joint use school facilities and services which the City has with the two School Districts.

...The maximum special tax rate for CFD No. 3 is set at $600/parcel/year for each single family parcel with a maximum increase of 2% per year for residential units."

Perhaps they could post all the documents for all 5 CFDs on their website and show which ones are being used to fund the new city hall instead of police and fire services.

And the Redevelopment money that will be used for the Civic Center project? That also can be used to fund police and fire services in the redevelopment area to increase total police officers in Brentwood.

What part of Community FACILITIES District don't you understand?

Perhaps the City should step up and fund more police and fire services for these neighborhoods with the annual CFD taxes it receives from these residents, rather than spend those tax dollars to build a grandiose city hall in the middle of a recession.