Mayor Glass Takes the Case to Sacramento

When State Senator Lois Wolk visited Sonoma County on Friday, May 18, she got an earful from .

Along with other city and county representatives at a meeting in Cotati, Glass was seated at a table to discuss the state budget. Sen. Wolk asked what was on everyone's mind, and Mayor Glass took the opportunity to tell her.

"What's on my mind and what's on everyone's mind," he related saying later, "is the abolition of all these construction projects" through the dismantling of the state redevelopment funds.

Glass pointed to two in particular, the which is currently under construction, and the Old Redwood Highway interchange that is ready for bid.

That's exactly the sort of thing she was looking for, Sen. Wolk said, and she urged Glass to put it in writing. He did, in the attached letter, sent to Sen. Wolk and dated that same day, May 18. The letter calls out the "most egregious examples of what the loss of redevelopment funds would mean to our community."

"All sides realize that the total abolition of redevelopment funds never really the goal," he said in a phone interview Tuesday evening. Sen. Wolk and others, including state , indicated that there may be a possibility of wrapping some funds up in the current budget that could fund some projects.

"The indication we got was that they were looking at long-standing projects, not those developed in the 11th hour" when the redevelopment funds were threatened.

The East Washington Interchange in particular, Glass said, was "the poster child of everything that's wrong [with the abolition of redevelopment funds] because it's under construction!"

Together the two projects total $19 million in funds, and Glass was hopeful that a way would be found to fund those projects. One reason is the budget is due on June 15, less than a month away, and if it's not delivered the legislators do not get paid.

The letter goes on with a hint of a necessary threat, saying "As Petaluma's Mayor, I want to make it clear that participating in a lawsuit against the State of California regarding these matters is not what we prefer. However, if the original determination denying our eligibiliy to expend already earmarked funds becomes the final determination of the California Finance Department, I fear that would be an action the City of Petaluma may be forced to undertake."

When Glass announced the letter on comment period, he said he was guardedly optimistic. "I felt good last night," he said, "I feel better today."

That's because the Assembly called Mayor Glass to testify today in Sacramento before the State Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 4 On State Administration.

"We have to, we have to finish the East Washington project," he emphasized. "Too many dollars have been spent on too many projects" like these, he said, to walk away now. "There are jobs at stake.

"Both projects in the letter absolutely need to be done."