Council member criticizes 9.5% allocation to CRA during budget vote

A council member publicly opposed the budget before the Sept. 21 vote, criticizing a 9.5% allocation to the Community Redevelopment Agency and saying the city should prioritize essential needs.

In the remarks recorded in the transcript the council member said: "the amount of money uh the 9.5% that's going to the CRA I have a problem with that. I think we could have taken care of more needs than wants. Uh it's no no secret that I've had a problem with how much money is going to the CRA with everything that we uh we need to do with our city. So, I will not be supporting the current budget tonight." No response or rebuttal to the objection is recorded in the transcript; the council proceeded to cast votes and the budget passed.

The transcript does not identify the dissenting member by name and does not provide further detail on how the 9.5% figure is calculated from line items in the budget. Journalists seeking a fuller account should request the adopted budget document and any CRA funding resolution or schedule for precise line-item allocations.