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LA Mayor's Budget
2008 - 2009
EDITOR'S NOTE: A recap of department cuts / additions can be found on page 6 of the first download below.
The link is also the web page where you may see the entire budget and post your comments or thoughts. We've also provided the Mayor's introductory message:
http://www.lacity.org/mayor/budget/mayfy0809.htm
A Message From:
Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Los Angeles is America’s undisputed creative capital. This beautiful City, perched on the Pacific Ocean, has always drawn its strength from the boundless energy and imagination of one of the most talented diverse populations anywhere.
Think about how far this spirit has taken us. In just over two centuries, we have grown from a tiny, dusty settlement on the remote periphery of the Spanish Empire into a thriving crossroads of global trade and commerce. Our county leads the nation in manufacturing and start up businesses. We are the center of media, film and television. Our ports and airports are engines driving the national economy. We are home to some of the nation’s leading research universities.
L.A. is poised to emerge as the great global city of the 21st Century, but our imaginations will be tested in this tough budget year.
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Today, the national economy is experiencing a downturn of a magnitude unseen in more than a decade. This crisis is acute. Despite the fact that economists predict L.A. will fare better than the region, the state, and the nation, the national recession is unquestionably catching Los Angeles in its wake. We face mounting foreclosures, rising unemployment, declining revenues, and an estimated General Fund deficit of $406 million. Moreover, the well of promised state and federal funds is drying up at a time when local programs must respond to growing need.
Every budget is a statement of values, and our budget asks Angelenos to focus more deeply on our core mission as a City. First and foremost, it maintains our commitment to investing in police and fire. It ensures the safety and security of our neighborhoods by continuing our effort to add 1,000 police officers in the most under-policed big city in America. It increases funding for gang intervention and prevention, expands the number of gang reduction zones, and proposes a fundamental realignment of the City’s anti-gang spending.
Our proposals improve the efficiency and accountability of local government; invest in job training and workforce development; continue to tap into the creativity of the renewable energy sector and transform L.A. into the cleanest and greenest big City in America; rebuild our aging infrastructure, reduce traffic congestion, and repave our streets.
Given the size and scope of these challenges, it is absolutely critical that we join together to solve the deficit in a responsible manner. We have already taken significant steps. Through the implementation of a series of belt-tightening measures and continued fiscal stewardship, City leaders reduced the FY2007-08 projected year-end deficit from $155 million to under $20 million as of March 2008. The ongoing efforts from departments to reduce expenses and the willingness of individual employees to take voluntary furlough days will ensure that this deficit is fully addressed by year-end.
My proposed budget tackles next year’s deficit by cutting spending and shrinking the size of City government in a manner that preserves the City’s core mission. Closing the budget gap will affect City employees, and we are committed to do all that we can to minimize the impact on our workers and their families. We are also asking the people of Los Angeles to bear a share of the burden by moving the City to full cost recovery on fees. Again, we are insisting on a fair and responsible approach. For every dollar in new fees, we are committed to cutting a dollar and a half in spending.
The current budget crisis should serve as an opportunity to make longneeded changes in the way the City does business. It’s a chance for our leaders to step up to the plate with fresh ideas, and to fulfill our pledge to voters to be responsible stewards of the public purse. Tough budget times should clarify our goals and objectives, not cause us to abandon them.
At a time of economic challenge, the leaders of Los Angeles must recognize the need for new thinking in our public policy debates and for shared sacrifice across City government. We must recall the courage and creativity of the generations of our predecessors who overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to build this incredible metropolis out of the dust.
This will be a multi-year challenge, requiring a multi-year effort to solve it. And we will continue to make structural changes in the way we deliver core City services as we move ahead.
Angelenos, this is a moment when our vision and values will be tested most – and we must not fail to answer the call for bold, effective leadership.
Very Truly Yours,
Antonio R. Villaraigosa |
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