Politics & Government
City Council to Decide Future of CRA Friday
The redevelopment agency was nearly axed by the state legislature Tuesday, and the council will decide Friday how to move forward with their proposed $430 million budget for the next year.
Representatives from the chief administrative officer and chief legislative analyst discussed at a Housing, Community and Economic Development Committee meeting today how the state’s budget would impact the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles, and asked for 30 days to evaluate how two assembly bills would impact the city.
The recommendation comes a day after the state legislature passed a budget that would take $1.7 billion away from redevelopment agencies. The CRA/LA’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year is just over $430 million, and includes several North Hollywood development projects, from revitalizing the Northridge earthquake-damaged to completion of the and the on Lankershim Boulevard.
A recommendation for the council to approve a temporary, three-month budget for the agency was proposed in a report by the CAO and CLA.
Find out what's happening in North Hollywood-Toluca Lakefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
“Our offices recommend that instead of approving a full CRA budget at this time, we provide a resolution and a limited budget for a 3-month period from July 1 to October 1,” said Lisa Johnson Smith of the office of the Chief Administrative Officer, who was flanked by representatives from the chief legislative analyst and the CRA/LA.
The recommendation that the council give the offices 30 days to review the impact of two assembly bills — one that requires the CRA to give $1.7 billion, a majority of that coming from Los Angeles — on the city will call on the assistance of the City Attorney and the redevelopment agency, said the report.
Find out what's happening in North Hollywood-Toluca Lakefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Committee chair and Councilman Herb Wesson, Jr. ran the meeting solo before being joined by Councilman Richard Alarcon 30 minutes after the meeting started. Wesson backed their request to further analyze the impact of the assembly bills on the city and come back in 30 days with a report.
“I think an update in 30 days on both issues makes sense,” said Wesson.
Wesson also stressed the urgency of the City Council coming up with a solution for moving forward with the redevelopment agency while its budget is being analyzed.
"I think it's critical that on Friday, we move forward and this might be the easiest way for us to move forward in the short term," he said.
The review and approval of the CRA/LA’s proposed budget is on the agenda for Friday’s City Council meeting.