It appears the new city (Arden is the name I like best) will become a reality as the folks working on it are doing their homework, sticking to the basics and following through, all needed to ensure success, and that is a very good thing.
It helps that the logic of cityhood, based on the successful experiences of our new cities vs the old, is so solidly in favor of it.
Parks join cityhood fight
The Arden Manor district endorses Arden Arcade push.
By Ramon Coronado - rcoronado@sacbee.com
Published 12:00 am PST Thursday, January 17, 2008
The Arden Manor Recreation and Park District is small, but advocates pushing for cityhood for the Arden Arcade area hope the district's recent endorsement will bring about a big change to the otherwise lackluster campaign.
"It is always an uphill battle, but we are still on track," said Joel Archer, who is leading the charge to turn the 13 square miles into a city of 78,000.
At its Dec. 13 meeting, the advisory board of the Arden Manor park district not only voted to support putting the issue on the November ballot, but also approved wording that supports incorporation as the only viable alternative for the area.
Board member Warren Harding said the park district opposes remaining an unincorporated area of Sacramento Coun- ty and is against being annexed by the city of Sacramento.
"They have a $55 million deficit, and they have higher taxes. We want to keep our parks and fire stations the way they are. We don't want any part of being absorbed by the city," Harding said.
"We see parts of Sacramento that are pretty neglected, and we don't want to be another neglected area."
Representation under the county Board of Supervisors is currently one supervisor for every 270,000 residents. With a mayor and five council members, the representation would be one elected official for each 17,000 residents, Harding said.
Harding said three of the five elected board members to the independent park district voted unanimously for cityhood.
The park district, which has three parks, is a mile long and a mile wide. It is bounded by Watt and Fulton avenues and Arden Way and Fair Oaks Boulevard.
Advocates for cityhood say they have already raised more than half of the $250,000 needed to pay for environmental and fiscal studies before the measure can be put on the November ballot.
The campaign also has been able to get the organizational backing of the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District and its union, which claim they will lose millions in funding and be forced to close fire stations should the Arden area be annexed by Sacramento.
