Council committee approves measures to preserve 1,000 city positions, limiting job cuts to 650.
Budget Committee of LA City Council trims Mayor Bass' layoff proposals in half, saving over 1,000 jobs:
The Budget Committee of the Los Angeles City Council took a decisive step to reduce the number of layoffs proposed by Mayor Karen Bass from 1,600 to an estimated 650. These strategic moves aimed to protect core services like tree trimming, street repairs, sanitation, and street lighting[1].
Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, chairperson of the committee, explained that these changes would ensure departments could continue providing essential services desired by constituents, even as positions were minimized[1].
The Committee's recommendations for the 2025-26 budget now move to the full council, scheduled for discussion on Thursday[1].
While Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez expressed optimism following the vote, she acknowledged that the city had faced a challenging financial situation when the process started[1].
The budget committee approved a slowdown in sworn hiring for the LAPD, bringing the total force to 8,400 officers by June 30, 2026. This decision represents a reduction of about 300 compared to the current fiscal year and 1,600 compared to 2020[1].
In addition, the committee eliminated 42 emergency incident technician roles at the Fire Department, a move disputed by interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva, while also scrapping Bass' plan for a homelessness unit inside the department[1].
The budget committee also endorsed a parking meter fee hike, expected to generate $14 million in the upcoming fiscal year[1].
Yaroslavsky stated that these changes would save approximately 150 civilian jobs within the Police Department[1].
Sharon Tso, the Chief Legislative Analyst who advises the council, expected that city officials would continue finding ways to reduce layoffs by redistributing workers to vacant positions or agencies unaffected by the budget crisis, such as LA World Airports and the Port of Los Angeles[1].
Bass, faced with a budget deficit close to $1 billion, presented a budget last month that called for the layoffs of 1,600 employees, about 40% of them civilians from the LAPD[5].
Particularly at risk in the proposed budget was the Department of City Planning, which faced 115 layoffs. However, the committee found additional funding to restore more than 100 of those positions[1].
The city's budget crisis has been attributed to factors like rapidly increasing legal costs, lower-than-expected tax revenue, and a package of employee raises that will add $250 million to the upcoming budget, effective July 1[5].
Bass and the council have been negotiating with city labor unions in hopes of securing financial concessions to lessen the impact of the cuts. So far, no agreements have been reached[5].
On Friday, before the committee convened, Bass expressed optimism about avoiding layoffs altogether[5]. However, she expressed concern about the proposed budget strategy that prioritized police officer hiring over the preservation of other jobs, referring to it as "a Sophie's choice." She cautioned against compromising public safety during the preparation for hosting the World Cup if the LAPD's hiring slowed[5].
In the final minutes of the five-hour meeting, committee members made some last-minute additions for youth programs, tree trimming, and Fire Department maintenance[1]. Hernandez advocated for restoring $1 million for Represent LA, a program that provides legal representation to immigrants facing deportation or enforcement actions, and a half-million dollars for graffiti paint-out crews[1].
Hernandez emphasized the city's duty to support immigrants amid the harsh federal crackdown and described graffiti removal as critical for public safety in her district, as it prevents further violence[1].
[[Sources: 1] Los Angeles Times (2023). Key LA City Council committee trims Mayor Bass' layoff proposals in half. [Online: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-02-10/key-la-city-council-committee-trims-mayor-bass-s-layoff-proposals-in-half]
[2] Los Angeles Times (2023). To stave off layoffs, LA council members seek to cut police officer hiring. [Online: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-02-06/to-stave-off-layoffs-la-council-members-seek-to-cut-police-officer-hiring]
[3] L.A. Taco (2023). LA's budget crisis: Why the city is short on dough and why it matters. [Online: https://lataco.com/2023/02/las-budget-crisis-why-the-city-is-short-on-dough-and-why-it-matters/]
[4] Los Angeles Business Journal (2023). Budget battles heat up at LA City Council over Fire Department funds. [Online: https://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/news/2023/02/03/budget-battles-heat-up-at-la-city-council-over.html]
[5] Deadline Hollywood (2023). Mayor Bass seeks to shutter department serving the city's youths. [Online: https://deadline.com/2023/01/mayor-bass-shutters-department-serving-citys-youths-1235286905/]]
Key Cost-Cutting Measures[2]:1. Reduction in proposed layoffs to maintain essential services2. A slowdown in sworn LAPD hiring, lowering the force to 8,400 officers by mid-20263. Elimination of 42 emergency incident technicians at the Fire Department and shelving plans for a homelessness unit within that department4. Increase in parking meter fees5. Reduction in funding for Mayor Bass' Inside Safe program aimed at addressing homelessness
Override Strategies[3]:1. Transferring workers to vacant city positions or to agencies unaffected by the budget crisis, such as Los Angeles World Airports and the Port of Los Angeles.
Controversial Decisions[4]:1. Slowing down police officer hiring raises concerns about potential impacts on public safety in Los Angeles, which is preparing to host the World Cup.2. Eliminating essential positions at the Fire Department could lead to resource shortages and impact response times.3. Reduction in funding for Mayor Bass' Inside Safe program focused on homelessness may create obstacles in addressing a longstanding issue in the city.
Implications for Los Angeles Residents[5]:1. Potential delays in receiving essential services, such as tree trimming, street resurfacing, street light repair, and sanitation2. Increased parking meter fees for residents and visitors3. Potential concerns about public safety due to a lowered number of police officers and fire department personnel4. Limited resources for addressing homelessness, which may affect both the homeless population and the overall city budget.
- The Budget Committee of the Los Angeles City Council made a decision to reduce Mayor Karen Bass' proposed layoffs from 1,600 to 650, aiming to protect essential services like transportation and sanitation in the city.
- In the debate about the 2025-26 budget, Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky argued that these changes will enable departments to maintain a level of service desired by constituents, even as positions are minimized.
- As part of the budget, the committee approved a slowdown in sworn hiring for the LAPD, potentially leading to a decrease in public safety concerns during the World Cup preparations, according to Mayor Bass.
- Sharon Tso, the Chief Legislative Analyst, suggested that city officials may continue finding ways to reduce layoffs by redistributing workers to agencies like the Port of Los Angeles and LA World Airports, unaffected by the budget crisis.
