Indian Wells Housing Bill Vetoed

Gov. George Deukmejian today vetoed a bill that would have allowed the affluent city of Indian Wells to use redevelopment funds to build low-income housing outside city limits.

“There does not appear to be sufficient cause to permit this one jurisdiction such an exemption to the exclusion of all other local governments,” the Republican governor said in a one-page veto message. The bill, by Sen. Robert Presley (D-Riverside), dealt with plans to build a massive, five-hotel complex in Indian Wells in a redevelopment area. Under current law, 20% of redevelopment funds must be used to build low- or moderate-income housing where the redevelopment project is located. But Indian Wells did not want to build all of the required housing within city limits.