Assembly member Anthony Portantino spoke at a special Glendale City Council meeting yesterday as officials agreed to support California SB 659. The bill would delay ending redevelopment agencies and allow consideration of a scaled-back program. Portantino voted against ending redevelopment; at the meeting he said he knew the program has greatly benefited Glendale.
Although invitations were extended to all state-level officials representing this area, Portantino was the only one who attended the meeting.
Chief Assistant Director of Community Development Phil Lanzafame provided details on the legislation, and made clear that no additional funds will go to Glendale or other school districts as a result of ending redevelopment agencies. Instead, the tax increment will go directly to the schools and the state will send proportionately less – just as much as is required by Prop 98! (See slide 8 of staff’s AB XI 26 Status report: the net result, it says, is that the state’s contribution to local government is reduced).
Lanzafame also reported that the Friends of the Glendale Library Board, concerned about further cuts to the library budget resulting from loss of redevelopment revenues, and about cancellation of the $10 million Central Library project, would be sending letters of support for the bill. The Glendale Chamber of Commerce, and Glendale Arts and the Alex Theatre, were meeting soon to consider this step as well.
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