Critics said the agencies were rife with waste and corruption, and noted that much of the property tax money they diverted as incentives to development came from schools and other essential government services.
On Tuesday, Brown took action to replace the old system with a more limited one that will target downtrodden areas with financial assistance.
“These important new measures enacted today will help boost economic development in some of our most disadvantaged and deserving communities,” the governor said in a statement.
