Today’s the deadline for state lawmakers to approve a budget without getting their pay docked. So with it comes a new play against redevelopment agencies.
The agencies, which are prominent financing mechanisms in San Diego development, would survive but be gutted under the plan from Democratic legislators. Gov. Jerry Brown wanted to eliminate them as part of his original budget proposal, but that vote failed in the Assembly. The Legislature’s budget proposal still includes taking money from redevelopment. From the Contra Costa Times:
Rather than eliminate [redevelopment agencies], as Brown has proposed, a new bill would allow them to reconstitute themselves under a state program. The agencies would pay fees to the state totaling $1.7 billion in the first year, and $400 million annually thereafter.
This plan is far from a done deal. Here’s a tweet this morning from John Myers, Sacramento bureau chief for KQED public radio: “Hard 2 see most #cabudget bills not passing easily. But keep an eye on redevelopment nix..will sympathetic Dems pull trigger?” Also, it’s unclear if Brown will sign the budget if it’s passed because it includes tax increases and many of the budget magic and one-time fixes he campaigned against.
I’ll be following this discussion today on Twitter. You can too by following Myers, the Sacramento Bee’s Kevin Yamamura and the Los Angeles Times’ Shane Goldmacher.
Please contact Liam Dillon directly at liam.dillon@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.550.5663 and follow him on Twitter: twitter.com/dillonliam.