Continuing a long tradition of established cities helping new cities began their life, Elk Grove gives a few more bucks to the Arden Arcade cityhood effort.
A very good thing.
Arden Arcade given $15,000 by Elk Grove
Council OKs gift to help cityhood bid after protests staged.
By Loretta Kalb - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PDT Friday, September 28, 2007
Advocates of Arden Arcade cityhood got a boost Wednesday night from the Elk Grove City Council with its 4-1 approval of a $15,000 gift to the effort.
The action, with Councilwoman Sophia Scherman opposed, followed protests from the Stay Sacramento! Stop Arden Arcade Cityhood committee.
The committee, whose chairman resides in Arden Arcade, met with reporters outside Elk Grove City Hall and later urged the council not to fund the effort, a video of the meeting shows.
"We do not see how the city ... can justifiably take taxpayer dollars from your city's general fund and make a gift" to a committee hoping to establish another city, Mike Duveneck, chairman of the anti-cityhood committee, told the council.
State law prohibits government entities from making gifts of public funds without some benefit to the contributing entity.
But some suburban city leaders have said that there is a benefit, noting that new cities strengthen the clout of existing municipalities.
