Jose Solorio, Assemblyman Recommends Governor Drop Sale of OC Fairgrounds


When it comes to the Orange County Fairgrounds, state Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D-Santa Ana) is “now recommending to the Governor that he
consider dropping the sale altogether,” according to a statement released by his office.

Solorio had been working to get legislation passed in the Legislature that would have authorized
the sale of the 150-acre, state-owned property to the city of Costa Mesa.

His statement explaining how it all came apart follows after the jump . . .
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September 7, 2010

Assemblyman Solorio Issues Statement Regarding His Current Position on the Sale of the Orange County Fairgrounds
SACRAMENTO, CA – State Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D-Anaheim) issued
this statement today regarding the legislation necessary to authorize
the Orange County Fairgrounds sale agreement between the City of Costa
Mesa and the State of California.

“I have offered several legislative ideas to the City of Costa Mesa
that would make their proposal to buy the Orange County Fairgrounds
more acceptable in the Legislature.< “In particular, I provided them with suggestions on ways to strengthen the governance provisions, protect employee jobs during the transition, and prioritize their rental income for use in the impacted area. I also requested that they remove the tax loophole that would essentially take money from schools throughout the state so the operator can pay the city rent money. “The City has responded to these ideas, but as it stands now, there is still a gap in how far they will go and what I think would be minimum concessions to enable me and others to defend the proposal in the Legislature. As a result, I am now recommending to the Governor that he consider dropping the sale altogether. “Since the Legislature is working on budget bills now, there is still time for Costa Mesa to pursue legislation to purchase the fairgrounds. However, I can't defend their current proposal or justify why the State should allow them to make so much money from property that belongs to all Californians.” State Assemblyman Jose Solorio is the Chair of the Assembly Insurance Committee and serves on the Assembly Appropriations, Local Government and Transportation Committees. He represents the Sixty-Ninth Assembly District, which includes the cities of Anaheim, Garden Grove, and Santa Ana.

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