COEUR d'ALENE - Kootenai County will collect more than $11 million in incremental tax dollars this year that will be turned over to local urban renewal agencies, the county clerk's office announced on Wednesday.

That's an increase of 3.89 percent from last year, according to a press release issued by Clerk Cliff Hayes.

"The reports released today are premised on all property taxpayers paying taxes owed in full and on time," the release stated.

Hayes calculated that $11,200,084 in incremental tax dollars will be collected for URAs.

Under state law, cities can create URAs funded by tax increments to reduce blight and dilapidation. Urban renewal districts can be proposed by other entities, including developers. URAs often pursue city infrastructure improvements with the aim of attracting businesses and more jobs.

In most urban renewal districts a proponent, usually a commercial entity, will use its own funds to install public infrastructure. After development, incremental taxes from the higher assessed values are remitted to the URA and then paid to the proponent as reimbursement for the infrastructure.

Hayes reported that this year the Hayden Urban Renewal Agency will receive $558,628; the Lake City Development Corp. will receive $5,655,488; the Post Falls Urban Renewal Agency, $4,791,335; and the Spirit Lake Urban Renewal Agency, $194,633.

"Of course it will be helpful," said Karl Harmon, chairman of the Spirit Lake URA. "We kind of pride ourselves on trying to be fiscally responsible, focusing on projects that will help the city."

There are no specific projects slated yet that the incoming revenue will fund, he said, or none at a stage to be revealed yet.

But he said Spirit Lake is already seeing benefits from the recent downtown revitalization, a joint project by the URA and the city.

"We certainly see it as an opportunity for job improvements in the city," Harmon said. "As we come out of winter, we're seeing a lot more tourist activity in Spirit Lake. We're extremely proud of how that project turned out."

Tom Lien, executive director of the Post Falls URA, said most of the $4.7 million will go toward reimbursing district proponents who have bankrolled projects in the URA's six districts.

"For the most part, the work in most of the districts has been done, or done by phases," Lien said.

Like in the Riverbend Urban Renewal District, he said, where Jacklin Land Company financed the construction of new roads that have brought in new businesses and bumped up assessed values.

"The county collects the taxes paid by the new businesses and sends the taxes to us," Lien said. "Then we use that to repay the Jacklin Land Company."

The community has benefited from the process, he added, as "bringing in all those businesses over the last several years has created over 1,200 new jobs."

Other completed Post Falls improvements where proponents will be reimbursed include the rebuilding of portions of Frederick and William streets, Lien said. The trailhead parking lot for the Centennial Trail was also rebuilt to include curbs, lighting and a security camera.

"That's a public safety project that easily falls within the authority of a URA," he said.

Similar to the Post Falls URA, much of the revenue for LCDC has already been committed to paying off public improvement already constructed, according to Denny Davis, chairman of the agency's board of directors.

Those include the Kroc Center, KYRO ice rink, parking and trailheads, the Coeur d'Alene Public Library, and park and utility work at Riverstone and Mill River Park, Davis reported.

LCDC also authorized funding a large part of the cost for realigning and signalizing the intersection at River Avenue and Northwest Boulevard, as part of the Education Corridor project.

"While anticipated, we are pleased with the increment revenue the LCDC will be receiving," Davis stated. "This income is a direct measure of the success of the urban renewal projects within our districts, as property valuations continue to rise as a result of the improvements financed by the agency."

Hayes could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.

Reports of the figures provided by the clerk's office are available online at www.kcgov.us/departments/auditor/urdfunding.asp.