Stanislaus County leaders support forming benefit district for downtown Modesto

Stanislaus County is casting its ballots in favor of forming the downtown Modesto community benefit district.

Board of Supervisors Chairman Terry Withrow abstained from the 4-0 vote Tuesday because he has an accounting business downtown. The proposed benefit district would aim to promote, beautify and improve security downtown to make it more inviting for patrons and visitors.

The proposed boundaries are Seventh Street to Needham-Downey Avenue and G Street to L Street.

Improvements and services such as sidewalk cleaning or private security would be funded by assessments collected from property owners, including businesses, public agencies and nonprofit groups.

The county’s staff and supervisors said the District Attorney’s Office will not be part of any special efforts to deal with panhandling, serial drunkenness or loitering downtown. According to an email obtained from the city of Modesto, which has provided staff support for the proposed district, a speaker at the July 14 county meeting had suggested the district’s private security would target the homeless and assessments would pay for prosecution costs.

Sacramento’s downtown association has covered district attorney costs for those types of prosecutions, but it won’t happen here, county officials said.

County leaders also said they want to see majority approval from business owners for district formation. County Chief Executive Officer Stan Risen said county officials stressed, during early talks with district organizers, that they did not want government agencies to supply the margin of approval for the benefit district.

The city, its redevelopment agency and the county control about 15 percent of the weighted votes, which are based on the value of assessments.

Supervisor Vito Chiesa said he hopes the measure receives more than 65 percent approval. Proponents need more than a 50 percent vote to form the district. Ballots will be tallied at a Sept. 1 public hearing.

Keith Boggs, assistant county chief executive officer, said the county has a stake in downtown improvements as owner of the building housing the Gallo Center for the Arts. The county leases the building to the nonprofit Gallo Center.

This story was originally published July 28, 2015 at 1:33 PM with the headline "Stanislaus County leaders support forming benefit district for downtown Modesto."