The quick and dirty work of ending the Fresno Redevelopment Agency is not quick, but it certainly is dirty. Lawsuits and turf wars have delayed the start of the work, and only look to continue the rest of the month.
Battle lines between the County and the City relate to the composition of the Successor Agency and oversight board. Their job will be to determine which contracts must be paid out as existing debt, and which money should be returned to the County. That means the members will control how much goes towards services such as school and the sheriff’s department, versus what is sent back to the city.
The board’s seven members are appoint in part by the Mayor of Fresno, the Board of Supervisors, the Local School system, largest taxing special district, and the community college district. One of the fights that has emerged is over the special district. By County calculations, the library district is the largest. By the city’s calculations, the Flood District is the largest. That argument could turn into a legal battle should neither of the two sides relent.
From the Fresno Bee:
Chaotic efforts to get the Fresno Oversight Board sworn in have some members muttering a different kind of oath.
The volunteer board charged with overseeing the final twitches of the former Fresno Redevelopment Agency is scheduled to hold its first meeting at 4 p.m. today at the downtown county library.
Read the full article here.