Local News in Brief : Lobbyist for Raiders Deal

The City of Irwindale, fighting efforts in the Legislature to block the Los Angeles Raiders from moving out of the Coliseum and building a stadium in the San Gabriel Valley suburb, has hired one of Sacramento’s most influential lobbyists, a city spokesman said.

Spokesman Xavier Hermosillo said Clay Jackson, who usually represents insurance companies, will represent the city in the state Capitol. He did not disclose Jackson’s fee for the part-time work.

Meanwhile, a letter to mayors and chambers of commerce throughout the San Gabriel Valley from the executive director of the Irwindale Chamber of Commerce, Joe DiShanni, complained that moves to block the Raiders, both in Los Angeles and Sacramento, have already cost Irwindale and the Raiders “millions of dollars with no end in sight.”

The letter said Irwindale has paid more than $500,000 to attorneys and other consultants to respond to audits and inquiries, has had to pay nearly $500,000 for an environmental impact report and stands to lose more than $100 million over 30 years in increased interest rates on bonds that could have been purchased earlier at lower rates were it not for “delays and harassment” over the past seven months.