Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed taking 8% of the property tax that cities receive. That would mean a loss of $1,202,358 for Arcadia. A chart shows how much other local cities may lose.
Bill requiring cities to pay businesses for signs that are condemned sparks debate. City officials from Duarte, Monrovia, Temple City and Arcadia have sent letters to local legislators opposing the bill.
At the urging of Temple City mayor Lou Gilbertson, State Senator Richardson has set aside his bill SB 1287. It would have reduced petition requirements from the present 25% to just 10% of the registered voters. They want Governor Brown to appoint an Ad Hoc committee to study the whole picture.
Santa Anita Park Race Track would like to build a helipad on the hillside on the north edge of its property and has sent a letter to its neighbors to the north asking if they have any objections.
Parents with children in the EMR (Educable Mentally Retarded) program in the Arcadia schools have written letters to the state, county and local school officials outlining the difficulties EMR teachers are having controlling their students without help from aides (lost due to Prop. 13).
The Housing Rehabilitation Project will receive $165,000 of the $238,250 Community Development Block Grant funds that Arcadia receives from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. Recent changes in HUD's regulations require that no less than 70% of a grantee's funds go toward programs that help those with low and moderate incomes.
California Governor Jerry Brown declares a state of emergency in response to the recent windstorm that caused about $75 million in damage, primarily in the San Gabriel Valley. The declaration allows city governments to be reimbursed for up to 75% of the cost of the damage through state and federal agencies. It also allows state agencies to assist in the recovery.
Negotiating teams for the Arcadia Teachers Association and the Board of Education have declared an impasse. Letters will be sent to the Public Employees Relations Board which may appoint a mediator. If the mediator is unable to resolve the differences, a fact finding panel may be selected.
Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy of Arcadia was among state lawmakers who did not support Assembly Bill 60 which would have allowed undocumented immigrants to get a drivers license. Governor Davis vetoed the bill.
Outline of items to be carried on the primary election ballot: the presidential candidates; several state and local offices; 11 state propositions and a local advisory measure regarding low rent housing for senior citizens.
Councilmen Jeff Dring and Dick Haltom sent letter to state Fair Political Practices Commission charging Mayor Don Pellegrino with a $307,500 conflict of interest.
Mayors of seven San Gabriel Valley cities that were hard hit by last year's ferocious windstorm are making a plea to Governor Jerry Brown for state disaster relief. The seven cities include Pasadena, Sierra Madre, Arcadia, Temple City, San Marino, South Pasadena and La Canada Flintridge.
Questionnaires have been sent to a sampling of citizens to get input on how the city should spend up to $1,000,000 under Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974.
Mayors ask for zoning bill veto. 27 San Gabriel Valley cities urge Governor Gavin Newsom to kill legislation that changes single-family lots to allow zoning for up to 4 units. This is Senate Bill 9, introduced by Senator Toni Atkins. The San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments advocates for addressing the affordable housing shortage by rezoning vacant and nonviable commercial properties and providing incentives to affordable housing developers to build on that land. SGVCG's letter in opposition was signed by Alhambra, Arcadia, Azusa, Baldwin Park, Bradbury, and others.
City of Arcadia to place three measures on November 8, 2022 ballot. 1. Proposed City Charter Amendment Measure. The City Charter was last amended in 1998. The citizen-led Charter Review Committee recommends updates to mirror changes in state laws since 1998 and to reflect current local government standards, to include a) mirroring changes in state laws to increase voter turnout by moving the date of regularly scheduled city council elections from April in even-numbered years to the November Statewide General Election in even-numbered years. b) recognizing the city's change to by-district elections as required by California Voting Rights Act. c) Creating a rotation of mayor and mayor pro tem positions every 9.5 months to allow all council members to serve during their term. d) Change position of City Clerk from elected to appointed. e) other amendments to streamline government, utilize technology and increase transparency. 2. Two measures to increase locally controlled funding. One measure would increase Arcadia's local tax on stays at hotels and motels from 10% to 12%--similar rate to many neighboring cities. The other measure would enact a local tax on sports wagers if sports betting becomes legal in California through State Proposition 26, also on the November ballot
Housing grades given by Southern California News Group. Every city and county in California has state-mandated targets for how much additional housing it needs across a range of affordability levels. Many are failing to meet those targets, especially for lower-income housing. Arcadia has received an overall D grade. See also Pasadena Star News, p. A14, November 28, 2021.