Santa Cruz City Council Members are set to consider a proposal on Tuesday, to pledge more than 53-million dollars to the city’s Redevelopment Agency. The move is in response to Governor Brown’s plan to eliminate redevelopment agencies throughout the state. In an effort to protect existing funds from being taken, Council Members will consider a contract to commit more than 30-million dollars to already-approved projects. A tentative contract to commit more than 20-million dollars for future projects will also be considered, with hopes that state leaders will be more reluctant to cancel planned- projects. Those future projects, though, would go through the normal approval and public comment process. The money is expected to fund improvements to Highways-1 and 9, as well as the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, local roads, and several low-income-housing projects. Santa Cruz County Supervisors are set to consider a similar proposal tomorrow as well. Watsonville City leaders already passed a contract with their redevelopment agency last month, for 187-million dollars.
