PolitiCal
On politics in the Golden State
August 14, 2012 | 7:00 am

Twenty-seven cities have not forked over all of the redevelopment money the state says they owe, according to Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration.

The state says the cities owe $129 million total, but they’ve only returned $6.7 million.

The dispute involves an accounting shuffle that helps close the state’s $15.7-billion budget deficit. Because redevelopment agencies are being dissolved this year, Brown wants to shift $3.1 billion to schools, helping offset the state’s obligation to fund education.

Right now the state is trying to secure the first wave of money -– local tax revenue that officials say was mistakenly paid to redevelopment agencies in the first six months of 2012.

The Brown administration set a target of $685 million and has threatened financial penalties if cities don’t pay up, but they may not meet their goal.

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