With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today .
LA City Council votes to allow redevelopment agency to be shut down
Los Angeles City Council members at a meeting in 2010.
(
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
)
A California state law passed last year requires the elimination of community redevelopment agencies by Feb. 1, and the tax dollars that fund those agencies will revert to the cash-strapped state. Like a lot of cities, Los Angeles had the option of taking over the shutdown of its local agency, but on Wednesday, the City Council voted not to.
No council member really wanted to cut ties with the CRA, but the alternative was just too costly: more than $100 million in expenses, city officials warned, and potential legal face-offs with developers and unions alike.
David Bloom, a spokesman for the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles, was stoic.
"The City Council, despite its great affection for the agency and the work that it’s done over many years in their districts, the substantial uncertainties — financial, legal and other — led them to vote to not take on the task," Bloom said.
Sponsor
The shutdown of the agency puts dozens of redevelopment projects in jeopardy, including the mayor's clean-tech business incubator east of downtown, the renovation of the Westlake and Watts-Star theaters and hundreds of units of affordable housing.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
