CA High Court to Hear Redevelopment Case

The California Supreme Court agreed Thursday to hear a case challenging a recent law that forces city redevelopment agencies to pay millions to the state in order to keep operating.

Filed by the California Redevelopment Association (CRA), to force redevelopment agencies to fork over millions to help fund state education obligations.

The high court agreed to hear the case Thursday and also issued a partial stay that allows redevelopment agencies to withhold payment until the case is resolved, according to the CRA.

"We’re very gratified that the California Supreme Court has agreed to take our case, issued the stay we requested to preserve the status quo, and that it is moving forward on an expedited basis,” said Chris McKenzie, Executive Director of the League of California Cities, in a written statement.

Monrovia moved last month to preserve its redevelopment agency and pledging to pay about $1.1 million to the state.

Though the CRA said the decision would allow cities to avoid the payments for now, City Manager Scott Ochoa said that the implications of the court's decision remain unclear. City attorneys will be getting together soon to discuss the decision and figure out exactly what it means, he said.

Ochoa said Monrovia officials are eager for the case to be heard--it's slated for oral arguments in January--because they believe the CRA will prevail.

"Certainly there's no question in our minds about the unconstitutionality of the state's actions and so we want to step into the ring as soon as we possibly can to get this fight over with," Ochoa said. "Because if logic and reason and fairness have anything to do with it, then we know what the outcome's going to be."

The case could be resolved as early as January as well, Ochoa said.