San Diego officially got back into the redevelopment game the same day that redevelopment boosters officially declared that the rules of the game were rigged.
The City Council voted to buy back into redevelopment Monday night, paying an estimated $70 million this year and $16 million annually after that to schools and other local governments. Without the payment, redevelopment would have gone away through a bill passed as part of the state’s budget vote last month.
The council plans to hold meetings in neighborhoods where redevelopment now exists to determine what projects should be delayed or cancelled, the Union-Tribune reported.
Redevelopment supporters also filed a long-anticipated lawsuit yesterday alleging the state redevelopment laws were unconstitutional for numerous reasons, including that it violates a ballot measure passed last November that prohibits the taking of redevelopment funds. The League of California Cities and California Redevelopment Association advocacy group filed the suit with the California Supreme Court in the hopes of receiving an expedited ruling.
For more recent background on redevelopment, check out my interview with downtown redevelopment agency head Kim John Kilkenny and my overview of the new state redevelopment laws.
Please contact Liam Dillon directly at liam.dillon@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.550.5663 and follow him on Twitter: twitter.com/dillonliam.