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The office of Fresno County Assessor-Recorder Paul Dictos has been chosen as the recipient for a $2.25 million grant under the newly enacted State Supplementation for County Assessors’ Program (SSACP). Dictos made the announcement Wednesday.
“Considering the recent job cuts suffered by my department, this grant is manna from heaven above,” he said.
Gov. Jerry Brown has appropriated $5 million for assessors in the state for the next three years, for a total of $15 million. Fresno County will receive $750,000 annually. Grant funds will only pay for overtime and extra help in order to alleviate the assessor’s perennial backlog and help to accelerate, increase and preserve the county’s flow of property tax revenue.
More than 60 percent of annual property tax revenue goes to K-12 schools and the County Office of Education, offsetting the State’s General Fund obligation to the schools.
“Property tax is the glue that allows local government to maintain civilization,” Dictos said. “This is good news for our children and families in Fresno County.”