Russell City Church Plea Held Illegal
Daily Review, Jun. 16, 1965
Full Text:
Members of the True Holiness Church of God in Christ in Russell City have appealed to the Board of Supervisors for permission to retain their church buildings when the county acquires their property as part of the Russell City Redevelopment project.
Their plan to move the church structures from 2343 Winton Ave. to 22968 Maud Ave. was explained to the Board yesterday by Elder Tandy L. Stroud, 3045 Kelly St., Hayward, his son, Joseph, an Oakland real estale broker, and the Rev. Birthon Watson, pastor of the church.
A FAVOR
"We're asking you this great favor," urged the Rev. Watson, "because this church is very much needed.
"We've gone through quite a struggle getting together what we needed to build this church, and we finally got it paid for. Now, we have to
move and start over."
The pastor explained that a new site will cost the congregation as much as it will receive for its Russell City property...$12,500 if it accepts the counly's offer. "And we'll have no money left to rebuild the church," he concluded.
The Supervisors listened with apparent sympathy, but the district attorney explained they are up against a slatutory prohibition against giving the church back to the congregation.
PROHIBITED
"The Board is not able to exercise an independent judgment here," Ass't. Dist. Atty. Douglas Dunning explained, "because of one constitutional prohibition against using county property or funds to aid any religious group, and another forbidding any gift of public funds.
The alternatives are two, according to Harold Davis, executive director of the county redevelopment agency.
One, the church may elect to attempt to require the church buildings by sealed bid after they are sold to the Redevelopment Agency. But, in this case it runs the risk that the buildings will be bid in by someone else, because the bidding must be open and competitive.
Or, two, the church may elect to reacquire the buildings by paying the Redevelopment Agency their salvage value.
In either case the Redevelopment Agency will be spared the cost of demolition.
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