City of Lodi Redevelopment Zone, Measure W (March 2009)
A City of Lodi Redevelopment Zone, Measure W ballot question was on the March 3, 2009 ballot for voters in the City of Lodi in San Joaquin County, where it was defeated.
The defeat of Measure W meant that a redevelopment ordinance previously approved by the City of Lodi City Council was rejected.[1]
Specifically, the election on Measure W was a veto referendum on a redevelopment ordinance passed by Lodi's city council in July 2008. Measure W was on the ballot because about 4,300 signatures from opponents of the city's redevelopment plan collected and submitted signatures on petitions to force the matter to a public vote.[2]
The city's proposed redevelopment district plan encompassed more than 2,000 acres of town. Most of the acres were on Lodi's East Side. The city's plan allowed Lodi's government to keep a greater share of its property tax dollars to finance rehabilitation projects in deteriorating neighborhoods and business districts.
- A "yes" vote was in favor of the city's redevelopment plan.
- A "no" vote rejected the city's redevelopment plan.
Election results
| Measure W | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 No | 4,679 | 54.1% | ||
| Yes | 3,969 | 45.9% | ||
- These final, certified, election results are from the San Joaquin County election office.
Opposition to redevelopment
"Smart Lodi" was the name of the group that opposed the city's redevelopment ideas, and urged a "no" vote on Measure W. Jane Lea was one of the leaders of the petition drive to get Measure W on the ballot. She and other opponents of the city government's redevelopment ideas believed that under the city plan adopted in July 2008, the city would "take on massive debt and break its promise to prohibit the seizure of private property."[2]
Debate
Mayor Larry Hansen and his Measure W opponent Lea discussed holding a public debate on Measure W prior to the election but talks stalled on the issue of who would moderate the debate.[3]
Ballot question
The question on the ballot:
| Measure W: "Shall Ordinance No. 1812 entitled, “An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Lodi Approving and Adopting the Redevelopment Plan for the Lodi Community Improvement Project,” be adopted?"[4] |
See also
External links
- Sample Ballot for the Measure W election
- Reasons to Vote No on W, from Smart Lodi
- Measure W: inaccuracies behind the talk, Newspaper column analyzing Measure W arguments, pro and con.
Footnotes
- ↑ "Election Summary Report - City of Lodi Special Election," March 3, 2009
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Stockton Record, "Debate rages on over rules, format for Measure W debate," January 27, 2009
- ↑ Lodi News Sentinel, "Redevelopment debate in Lodi: When and where might it occur?" January 27, 2009
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
