At the Issues and Policy Roundtable hosted by the Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, February 9, three Goleta leaders – Mayor Margaret Connell, City Councilmember Paula Perotte and Director of Redevelopment Vyto Adomaitis – referenced the need to continue the work in Goleta’s redevelopment area, a special district that encompasses Old Town Goleta and allows the agency to collect tax increment for funding of economic development projects within the district.
Governor Brown’s recent budget proposal would eliminate all redevelopment agencies in the State. Mayor Connell stated, “It would be particularly frustrating to lose our RDA funding right now when we are on the cusp of realizing major improvement projects in Old Town, many of which have taken years to design, approve and fund.”
The Chamber supports the City’s position to work toward a solution that would both help and encourage the State’s efforts to solve an ever-growing budget crisis but not raid local funds that are so vitally important to economic development and the quality of life in Goleta and particularly Old Town. A link to the Chamber’s press release on their position on the topic is below.