COUNCIL TALKS STATE BUDGET, REDEVELOPMENT AT SOLANO EDC

On Wednesday, the day after Governor Brown called off negotiations with Republicans, Bay Area Council President & CEO Jim Wunderman spoke to the Solano Economic Development Corporation in Fairfield and provided his analysis of the state budget picture.  Citing California’s unknown fiscal future, Jim summed up the situation with “where we go from here is a rough ride.”  Though sacrifices need to be made across the board in order to solve the budget crisis, Jim stressed that redevelopment is a crucial economic development tool for communities across California, and we will feel the impact throughout the state if the agencies cease to exist on July 1st, as is currently proposed.  Alternatives to cutting redevelopment altogether, such as enforcing tighter restrictions on agencies, or tying in funding to support California’s laws regarding greenhouses gas emissions, deserve careful consideration.