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Planning division explains fair‑share funds, says lapsed appropriations remain in district capital pools
Summary
Bethany Morrison presented the fair share annual report (as of 06/30/2025), explaining that fair‑share funds must be used for capital improvements in the collecting judicial district; she said appropriations typically remain valid for three years and, if lapsed, return to district capital pools, and council members asked for clearer and timelier reporting.
Bethany Morrison, speaking on behalf of Planning Director Jeffrey Darrow, presented the annual fair‑share report and reminded the committee that fair‑share contributions are tied to rezone ordinances and may be used only for capital improvements that add new capacity in the judicial district where they were collected. “They need to be new construction, not simply repair and maintenance, but adding capacity,” Morrison said.
Morrison explained that appropriations through the capital improvement budget are typically valid for about three years; if a project is not completed or encumbered in that window, appropriations can lapse and the funds return to the district pool for future projects of the same improvement type. She said some lapsed appropriations date back many years and that, in some cases, specific ordinances trigger refunds.
Council members probed reprogramming and asked whether lapsed balances could be reallocated to current priorities. Morrison said departments generally know their balances and that the report is used during the capital improvement budgeting process to help departments identify existing funding sources.
Several council members asked for more timely and useful reporting—one suggested the report be issued twice a year—because the data in the annual report are nearly nine months old by the time council sees them. The committee closed the file on communication 758 after discussion.
