Last-Ditch Effort Launched to Save Redevelopment Agencies

Watsonville's native son,  (D-Watsonville) introduced a bill this week to "mend, not end" redevelopment agencies in the state.

Gov. Jerry Brown's May revised budget proposes to , which draw in millions of dollars in moderate-sized communities like Watsonville. Brown wants to redirect that funding to schools, but local elected officials across the state oppose the plan, because they believe redevelopment funds support business growth in their cities.

In Watsonville, the Redevelopment Agency has done a range of projects, from façade improvements downtown to helping construct the new Civic Plaza building that houses the library, court and City Hall. The agency is poised to provide funding for constructing the infrastructure necessary at the new .

Alejo's measure, which he co-authored with more than a dozen other legislators, would "institute comprehensive redevelopment reforms to improve redevelopment effectiveness, transparency and accountability, while also limiting redevelopment’s size and increasing funding for schools by preventing redevelopment agencies from using the school share of property tax increment," his office explained in a prepared statement.