Region Business Uses Robo Call of Elk Grove Mayor Gary Davis in Defense of Casino, Mall

November 17, 2016 |

As noted a few days ago,  election season has not yet come to an end for Elk Grove voters. This was again evident last night when robocalls from Elk Grove Mayor Gary Davis and Sacramento-based business construction advocacy group, Region Business.

The robocall, which is posted below, urges Elk Grove voters not to sign a petition currently being circulated in Elk Grove. That petition, which is being sponsored by an unidentified group, seeks to reverse an October vote by the Elk Grove City Council that releases the owner of the unfinished Outlet Collection at Elk Grove, the Howard Hughes Company, from a development agreement.

By releasing HHC from the agreement, the City helped paved the way for the Wilton Rancheria to purchase a portion of the parcel owned by HHC for a proposed $400-million casino resort. To build on the Outlet Collection site, Bureau of Indian Affairs requires the parcel to be free of any unencumbered. 

If the petition drive is successful, Elk Grove could vote on whether or not to reverse the City Council's releasing HHC from the development agreement.  Davis, three of his city council colleagues and Region Business have attempted to frame the issue as being detrimental to efforts to restart construction on the Outlet Collection at Elk Grove, which has been stalled for over eight years.

One Elk Grove resident who contacted EGN said he was annoyed by receiving the robo call from Davis at home last night.

"The call was very condescending," he added.

Another reader told EGN today they signed the petition in front of the Smart and Final store on Elk Grove Boulevard and another professional gatherer stationed at the Sprout's store on Laguna Boulevard. One of the professional gatherers told our reader there was only 1,000 more signatures needed.

Calls to the company conducting the petition drive, Arnol Petition Consultants seeking to verify the signature count as well as who is their client, have not been returned.