Villaraigosa, Other Mayors To Discuss Budget With Jerry Brown
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Several California mayors, including Antonio Villaraigosa, will meet with Gov. Jerry Brown Wednesday and ask him to balance the state's budget without eliminating municipal redevelopment agencies and enterprise zones.
"I understand and respect the daunting fiscal challenge facing the governor and Legislature, and want to help craft an alternative that protects economic development for our communities most desperate for jobs," Villaraigosa said. "I know the governor shares that priority, and I am confident that we can work together to find a reasonable solution."
Redevelopment agencies rely on property taxes for funding, and a greater portion of property taxes would go to the state if city- and county-run redevelopment agencies were abolished.
Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee, Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin and Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait also are expected at the meeting, which will be followed by a news conference on the steps of the Capitol.
Villaraigosa's spokesman, Matt Szabo, said the mayors want to "open a productive dialogue."
"We're not going up with a predetermined prescription; rather, we want to work with the governor to find an alternative that could provide for job creation in our underserved communities," Szabo said.
"We believe that it's possible to save the money the governor is seeking to save without eliminating all CRA's (community redevelopment agencies)."
The trip will be Villaraigosa's 15th in 19 weeks, including four to Washington and three others to Sacramento.
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