Revenue Development Area

Federal Way's revenue development area boundary. To participate in the LIFT program, local jurisdictions establish a revenue development area (RDA) and apply to the Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) for approval. There are currently nine LIFT projects around the state; the program is closed to further projects unless the Legislature increases the total amount of funding available for state contributions. The amount of state contribution each project receives per year is limited to the lowest amount of the following four caps: 1) One million dollars; 2) The amount of local revenue dedicated to the project; 3) The amount awarded to the project by CERB; or 4) The “state benefit” amount. The “state benefit” amount is based on a complicated statutory formula intended to approximate increases to state property and excise tax revenues within the RDA. Statute directs each local jurisdiction to submit an annual report to CERB and the Department of Revenue (DOR) that contains the information necessary to calculate the state contribution, as well as information about the progress of its LIFT project.