Nine California mayors, including Fresno’s Jerry Dyer and four others from the Central Valley, say cities would likely sue the California High-Speed Rail Authority over its proposal to capture a portion of local tax dollars and zoning power in its future station areas.
The agency says it would use the money and zoning power to build infrastructure and make sure its station areas are correctly planned. But a letter signed by Central Valley mayors and sent to rail authority CEO Ian Choudri says the plan is likely unconstitutional in California and an attempt “to divert local tax growth through a legally dubious scheme.”
“It represents an unprecedented intrusion into local governance and sets a dangerous statewide precedent,” the letter, dated April 23, says of the rail authority’s proposal…