Report says city leaders are neglecting the south side
STOCKTON, Calif. (KCRA) —A San
Joaquin County grand jury said the city is not doing enough to help people in
South Stockton.
A newly released report said
city leaders are neglecting the south side.
The area south of the Crosstown
Freeway is home to roughly one-third of Stockton's more than 300,000 residents.
"Anybody that's ever
driven through South Stockton automatically knows it's underserved," South
Stockton resident Ralph White said.
White, who used to serve on the
Stockton City Council, said it's something he's been fighting for years.
"South Stockton has a lot
of vacant land, and I've been saying all this time, nobody is going to invest
in an area that is underserved," White said.
The grand jury's investigation
found South Stockton suffers from blight, poverty and includes many
deteriorating houses.
Jurors urged the City Council
to push for a more equitable distribution of city resources in the area.
"A lot of things they
should be doing they never do," South Stockton resident Thomas Randle
said.
The investigation found many
civil and religious groups are working to make positive changes in the area,
but they said only city government has the resources.
"The grand jury is right
-- for years, South Stockton has been neglected by city officials and city
planners as (they) continue to expand in the north and forgot about the
south," Stockton Mayor Anthony Silva said.
The Stockton City Council must
submit a response to each finding and a recommendation in the report.
May
13, 2015
KCRA
Channel 3
By Melinda Meza
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