For eight years, David Smith constantly monitored the Navajo Community Planning Group’s development impact funds. The Navajo area includes the communities of Allied Gardens, Grantville, Del Cerro and San Carlos.

“We had over $3.5 million in the DIF account,” said Smith, a former board member of the community planning group. “Then all of a sudden I looked down to the fund balance and we were at 287 grand. And I’m like, ‘well wait a minute. What? What happened? Where did all our money go?’”

Development impact fees are one-time fees paid by developers to the city of San Diego when they build new housing. The money, often called DIF funds, is used for public infrastructure, and planning groups like Navajo issue yearly recommendations of how the money generated in their neighborhood should be

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