Mayor: State Ransoming Redevelopment Funds for $5M

Many cities were outraged with Gov. Brown’s decision to eliminate cities' redevelopment funds to avoid any more city abuses.

Yet while soem cities had gross misuses of these funds, municipalities like Redwood City had used this money to fund critical city projects like the downtown renovation and the Jefferson Avenue parking garage.

Mayor Jeff Ira discusses the city's Aug. 22 decision whether or not to pay the money to keep its redevelopment funds for future projects, like the which is bordered by Jefferson, Middlefield and the Caltrain tracks that has many developers seeking its purchase.

Questions for Mayor Ira:

• How can Redwood City recuperate its redevelopment funds from the state?
• When will the city decide whether or not to buy back redevelopment funds or not?
• What will you consider when deciding if you should pay to keep the redevelopment funds?
• What specific project(s) will be affected by redevelopment funds?
• What personnel would be affected by the elimination/recuperation of redevelopment funds?
• What are some other options for saving the state money instead of cutting redevelopment funds?