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Mayor to state: hands off Pasadena's money

PASADENA - In an effort to preempt any state plan to "borrow" local funding to close California's $15.2 billion budget gap, Mayor Bill Bogaard will send legislators a letter detailing Pasadena's "strong opposition" to the proposal.

Voters sent a message to Sacramento in 2004 and 2006 when they voted against the growing practice of "raiding municipal funds" to balance the state budget, Bogaard said Thursday at a meeting attended by Dr. Takashi Wada, Pasadena's director of public health, Interim City Manager Bernard Melekian and Finance Director Steve Mermell.

A loophole allowing the state to take cities' funding by declaring a "severe fiscal hardship" doesn't apply here, Bogaard said.

"The current budget situation does not meet that criteria," he said. The legislature's 24-day budget stalemate is "caused by the failure to act responsibly," he said. "There's a lack of political will and strong leadership   Read Full Article...