Hood River currently has four urban renewal districts that utilize a financing program authorized under state law and implemented locally called Tax Increment Financing. This program allows the use of future property tax growth to make economic development investments in designated districts today.
The mechanism of Tax Increment Financing works by dedicating future property tax growth to pay for redevelopment projects via loans. Redevelopment projects generate new taxable value that otherwise would not have existed without public investment, creating the revenue streams to repay the original project debt. The new taxable value is released to the general tax rolls benefiting all taxing entities after the urban renewal district debt is retired. In Hood River there are four urban renewal areas, Columbia-Cascade, Waterfront, Heights, and the Westside District. Each distinct district retains its own tax increment revenues and funds are not commingled between the districts or with the City.
The Urban Renewal Agency administers the four districts. The Agency has a nine-member board consisting of the Hood River City Council and two elected members from the Port of Hood River. The Agency is responsible for performing all normal board duties, including adopting a budget. Agency members work in conjunction with a seven-member advisory committee, the Urban Renewal Advisory Committee (URAC). The advisory committee also serves as citizen budget committee members for the Agency. The URAC is very much a working committee, and the agency’s ambitious work plan in the future would not be possible without this dedicated group of volunteers.
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Urban Renewal 101:
Urban Renewal Basics Frequently Asked Questions
Conceptos básicos de las áreas de renovación urbana
Urban Renewal Agency Annual Statements
- Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Hood River Annual Statement January 2016
- Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Hood River Annual Statement January 2017
- Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Hood River Annual Statement January 2018
- Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Hood River Annual Statement January 2019
- Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Hood River Annual Statement January 2020
- Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Hood River Annual Statement January 2021
- Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Hood River Annual Statement January 2022
- Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Hood River Annual Statement January 2023
- Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Hood River Annual Statement January 2024