Kings County Supervisors take a public stand against High Speed Rail in California.
The board passed a resolution opposing the entire project.
In May of 2010, the supervisors backed High Speed Rail. But over the past year and a half, farmers, who would lose their land to the tracks, and other residents have voiced strong opposition.
The Supervisors say the Rail Authority has failed to work with the county.
“There is just a litany of areas where we believe this will be harmful to the county in general and to the livelihood within this county,” said Kings County Assistant County Administrative Officer, Deb West.
The tracks for high speed rail would run through farm and dairy land. And the county says those aren’t easy businesses to move.
“You can’t simply move a dairy, you can’t move prime farm land. It’s prime farm land. When it’s gone, it’s gone,” said West.
The High Speed Rail Authority issued a statement to CBS47 in response to the decision in Kings County.
CEO Roelof van Ark said “The authority will keep working with the residents of Kings County directly to make this the best project possible for California.”
This is not the first time a city or county has opposed the project. The Fresno City Council expressed concerns over the number of businesses that will be displaced in the city if the tracks for high speed rail are built.
And Chowchilla passed an ordinance this summer, requiring the High Speed Rail Authority to get a permit before it can move forward with the project in the city.
“You want to put as many roadblocks in place for the High Speed Rail to prevent it from taking place,” said David Alexander, the mayor of Chowchilla.
The vote in Kings County is largely symbolic. It won’t stop the project. But officials in Kings County felt no one at the Rail Authority was listening, and this was a way to be heard.
