'Urgent Need': Benicia Braces for Economic Future Without Valero | KQED

"He said he expects that Signature Development Group, the firm Valero consulted to assess the future of the site, will have a proposal ready around the time that Valero shuts down the refinery next year. City staff have also been using a priority-based budgeting tool that will inform the City Council and community on Benicia's most essential programs and those "that may need to be retired," Giuliani said, adding that the city could lose about 13% of its $60 million general fund."

"Last May, city leaders took initial steps to prepare for the loss of what has been its cornerstone business. Steve Young, the city's mayor, proposed - and the City Council approved - a group of community-focused task forces to study the economic impacts and chart a new path for the small North Bay city that has relied on tax revenue from Valero for decades."

"The City Council plans to discuss the study at its public meeting on Tuesday. "It'll be a challenge, and then we can build that bridge to get us to a point into the 2030s when we start seeing redevelopment," Giuliani said. "Benicia has believed in itself, and what is required of us is to believe in ourselves a little bit more and a little longer.""

Valero plans to shut down its refinery next year, and Signature Development Group is expected to have a site proposal ready around that time. City staff are using a priority-based budgeting tool that indicates Benicia could lose about 13% of its $60 million general fund. Many Valero employees will relocate or be hired by other Bay Area refineries, while hundreds of support jobs may require resources and training from the Solano Workforce Development Board. City leaders created community-focused task forces to study economic impacts and chart a redevelopment path. The City Council will review the study at a public meeting as officials prepare for long-term redevelopment into the 2030s.

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