Tweet
San Bernardino County to join L.A., Riverside counties in lawsuit
San Bernardino County will partner with Riverside and Los Angeles counties in a lawsuit challenging the state's seizure of $2.05billion in redevelopment funds for education.
The state plans to take $1.7billion in local redevelopment funding this year and $350million next year to help the state comply with Proposition 98's minimum school funding mandate. The impact to San Bernardino County would be $3.9million this year and $800,000 next year, county spokesman David Wert said.
He said it would cripple the county's plans to create infrastructure in redevelopment areas and hinder the county's ability to attract jobs.
The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday in closed session to join the lawsuit.
In San Bernardino County, the biggest redevelopment project to suffer would be the Cherry Avenue bridge over the 10 Freeway in Fontana, which was next in line for funding. Other projects that stand to suffer include flood-control improvements on the north end of the Cherry Avenue bridge project area, Wert said.
"Businesses and the nearby rail suffer damage during heavy rains because the current system can't move water fast enough. It overflows and floods," Wert said.
He said the entire project area near Auto Club Speedway is in dire need of a sewer system and that most of the project area is now on septic tanks, including most new businesses.
Riverside County also stands to suffer.
On Sept. 15, the RiversideCounty Board of Supervisors voted to join Los Angeles County in the filing of a lawsuit, county spokesman Tom Freeman said.
Riverside County, which has the ninth largest redevelopment agency in the state, stands to lose $31 million this year alone from the state's money grab, Freeman said.
"We can build six brand new, state-of-the-art county fire stations with that money, and each one of the county fire stations we build creates 250 jobs for construction workers," Freeman said.
As a result, the county would stand to lose 1,550 jobs, he said.
"I do not believe those things were considered when the state made this redevelopment grab," said Freeman. "And that's what makes this lawsuit so important."
The state plans to take $1.7billion in local redevelopment funding this year and $350million next year to help the state comply with Proposition 98's minimum school funding mandate. The impact to San Bernardino County would be $3.9million this year and $800,000 next year, county spokesman David Wert said.
He said it would cripple the county's plans to create infrastructure in redevelopment areas and hinder the county's ability to attract jobs.
The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday in closed session to join the lawsuit.
In San Bernardino County, the biggest redevelopment project to suffer would be the Cherry Avenue bridge over the 10 Freeway in Fontana, which was next in line for funding. Other projects that stand to suffer include flood-control improvements on the north end of the Cherry Avenue bridge project area, Wert said.
"Businesses and the nearby rail suffer damage during heavy rains because the current system can't move water fast enough. It overflows and floods," Wert said.
He said the entire project area near Auto Club Speedway is in dire need of a sewer system and that most of the project area is now on septic tanks, including most new businesses.
Riverside County also stands to suffer.
On Sept. 15, the RiversideCounty Board of Supervisors voted to join Los Angeles County in the filing of a lawsuit, county spokesman Tom Freeman said.
Riverside County, which has the ninth largest redevelopment agency in the state, stands to lose $31 million this year alone from the state's money grab, Freeman said.
"We can build six brand new, state-of-the-art county fire stations with that money, and each one of the county fire stations we build creates 250 jobs for construction workers," Freeman said.
As a result, the county would stand to lose 1,550 jobs, he said.
"I do not believe those things were considered when the state made this redevelopment grab," said Freeman. "And that's what makes this lawsuit so important."
Comment