logo
Los Angeles City Controller Updates Residents on Budget Woes

Los Angeles City Controller Updates Residents on Budget Woes

Epoch Times30-04-2025

Commentary
California's counties usually have a budget department and an elected auditor-controller. The controller handles the disbursements and the annual audit but rarely gets involved in the budget process.
The city of Los Angeles, the second most populated city in the nation behind New York City, also has an elected controller who runs citywide. And the role is similar to that of a county, where auditor-controllers run countywide and supervisors run in five districts.
The advantage of being independently elected is that the controller can be more public about the status of the city without fear of retribution from the elected mayor and city council members. The only concerns this officeholder should have are angry voters every four years when he or she is up for reelection and has a challenger, or upsetting the electorate and special interest groups so much that they mount a recall effort. However, for a city of 4 million people, it's very difficult to unseat an incumbent at the ballot box or through an organized recall.
The current city controller for Los Angeles is Kenneth Mejia. Although he is not directly involved in the budget process, which is the job of the mayor and city council, he can still provide his insights and assist his constituents through messaging efforts.
Mejia already messaged the fiscal distress that Los Angeles is facing when he
Related Stories
4/24/2025
3/14/2025
He has been very candid about the financial status of this metropolis. So he felt the need to provide additional information when Mayor Karen Bass, also elected citywide, gave her State of the City
Just like the governor of California proposes a budget and has the state Legislature review, amend, and approve it for his signature, the city of Los Angeles has its mayor submit her proposal to the city's 15 councilmembers, who do the same. Just like the state's independently elected controller, the city controller has no direct involvement in the process.
However, Mejia decided to communicate five major highlights concerning the mayor's submission:
A total of 1,647 city employees will be
Of the vacant positions, 1,074 will be eliminated.
Three departments—youth development, aging, and economic workforce development—will be consolidated.
This is occurring because the city is facing a nearly $1 billion budget deficit due to record-level liability payouts, increased payroll costs, spending that has gone over budget, and revenue shortfalls.
The annual budget is about $14 billion, with $6.5 billion being unrestricted, implying that the remainder is spent on federally and state-funded programs.
Overall, the city has some 38,000 positions with 32,405 employees. The layoffs would be a 5 percent reduction in actual staffing. Going forward, the eliminated positions are gone and will not be reintroduced until future budget years when funds are available.
Consolidating departments should mean that there will be one department head versus three. It should also mean that various management positions can also be cut by two-thirds, like having only one human resources manager.
One can focus the woes on the recent fires, but there were already cracks in the foundation due to litigation settlements and departments spending more than they were budgeted. This was exacerbated when budgeted revenues did not appear as projected. And every city is seeing increased contributions to pension plans as public employee unions want a very generous defined benefit plan and raises. You can have one or the other, but wanting both is an obvious budget buster.
July 1 will come quickly, and L.A.'s full-time city council will be deliberating the next two months on what they will agree to in the mayor's proposed budget and what they propose to modify. It's simple math. So, increasing spending in certain areas will involve decreasing spending elsewhere.
Expect Mejia to provide continuing messaging on the process over the coming days and weeks.
I had the uncomfortable duty of being the chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors in 2008, the year of the Great Recession, requiring the laying off of 1,000 of the county's 18,000 employees. Trust me when I say that this is not an easy or fun function to perform. But, short of unwise internal and external borrowing, making the cuts is the appropriate course of action. And Los Angeles is
Kicking the can down the road is not a solution. It's time for action. Continue to keep us informed, Kenneth Mejia.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Minnesota budget deal cuts health care for adults who entered the US illegally

time3 hours ago

Minnesota budget deal cuts health care for adults who entered the US illegally

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Adults living in the U.S. illegally will be excluded from a state-run health care program under an overall budget deal that the closely divided Minnesota Legislature convened to pass in a special session Monday. Repealing a 2023 state law that made those immigrants eligible for the MinnesotaCare program for the working poor was a priority for Republicans in the negotiations that produced the budget agreement. The Legislature is split 101-100, with the House tied and Democrats holding just a one-seat majority in the Senate, and the health care compromise was a bitter pill for Democrats to accept. The change is expected to affect about 17,000 residents. After an emotional near four-hour debate, the House aroved the bill 68-65. Under the agreement, the top House Democratic leader, Melissa Hortman, of Brooklyn Park, was the only member of her caucus to vote yes. The bill then went to the Senate, where it passed 37-30. Democratic Majority Leader Erin Murphy, of St. Paul, called it 'a wound on the soul of Minnesota,' but kept her promise to vote yes as part of the deal, calling it "among the most painful votes I've ever taken." Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, who insisted on maintaining eligibility for children who aren't in the country legally, has promised to sign the legislation, and all 13 other bills scheduled for action in the special session, to complete a $66 billion, two-year budget that will take effect July 1. 'This is 100% about the GOP campaign against immigrants,' said House Democratic Floor Leader Jamie Long, of Minneapolis, who voted no. 'From Trump's renewed travel ban announced this week, to his effort to expel those with protected status, to harassing students here to study, to disproportionate military and law enforcement responses that we've seen from Minneapolis to L.A., this all comes back to attacking immigrants and the name of dividing us.' But GOP Rep. Jeff Backer, of Browns Valley, the lead author of the bill, said taxpayers shouldn't have to subsidize health care for people who aren't in the country legally. Backer said California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has proposed freezing enrollment for immigrants without legal status in a similar state-funded program and that Illinois' Democratic governor, JB Pritzker, has proposed cutting a similar program. He said residents can still buy health insurance on the private market regardless of their immigration status. 'This is about being fiscally responsible,' Backer said. Enrollment by people who entered the country illegally in MinnesotaCare has run triple the initial projections, which Republicans said could have pushed the costs over $600 million over the next four years. Critics said the change won't save any money because those affected will forego preventive care and need much more expensive care later. 'People don't suddenly stop getting sick when they don't have insurance, but they do put off seeking care until a condition gets bad enough to require a visit to the emergency room, increasing overall health care costs for everyone,' Bernie Burnham, president of the Minnesota AFL-CIO, told reporters at a news conference organized by the critics. Walz and legislative leaders agreed on the broad framework for the budget over four weeks ago, contrasting the bipartisan cooperation that produced it with the deep divisions at the federal level in Washington. But with the tie in the House and the razor-thin Senate Democratic majority, few major policy initiatives got off the ground before the regular session ended May 19. Leaders announced Friday that the details were settled and that they had enough votes to pass everything in the budget package.

New York lawmakers approve bill that would allow medically assisted suicide for the terminally ill

time3 hours ago

New York lawmakers approve bill that would allow medically assisted suicide for the terminally ill

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Terminally ill New Yorkers would have the legal ability to end their own lives with pharmaceutical drugs under a bill passed Monday in the state Legislature. The proposal, which now moves to the governor's office, would allow a person with an incurable illness to be prescribed life-ending drugs if he or she requests the medication and gets approval from two physicians. A spokesperson for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she would review the legislation. The New York Senate gave final approval to the bill Monday night after hours of debate during which supporters said it would let terminally ill people die on their own terms. 'It's not about hastening death, but ending suffering,' said state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, a Democrat who sponsored the proposal. Opponents have argued the state should instead improve end-of-life medical care or have objected on religious grounds. 'We should not be in the business of state-authorized suicide,' said state Sen. George Borrello, a Republican. The state Assembly passed the measure in late April. The proposal requires that a terminally ill person who is expected to die within six month make a written request for the drugs. Two witnesses would have sign the request to ensure that the patient is not being coerced. The request would then have to be approved by the person's attending physician as well as a consulting physician. The legislation was first introduced in 2016, Hoylman-Sigal said, though it has stalled year after year in the New York statehouse. Dennis Poust, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference, which has opposed the measure, said 'This is a dark day for New York State." Eleven other states and Washington, D.C., have laws allowing medically assisted suicide, according to Compassion & Choices, an advocacy organization that backs the policy. Corinne Carey, the group's local campaign director, said lawmakers had 'recognized how important it is to give terminally ill New Yorkers the autonomy they deserve over their own end-of-life experiences.' 'The option of medical aid in dying provides comfort, allowing those who are dying to live their time more fully and peacefully until the end,' said Carey.

Huber Heights announces plans for new music venue, hotel, restaurant
Huber Heights announces plans for new music venue, hotel, restaurant

Yahoo

time6 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Huber Heights announces plans for new music venue, hotel, restaurant

HUBER HEIGHTS, Ohio (WDTN) — During his State of the City address, Mayor Jeff Gore revealed plans for several new developments in Huber Heights. Mayor Gore announced three major developments coming to the city in the next few years. Walls installed at Huber Heights Buc-ee's site First, a new indoor music venue will be coming to Executive Boulevard. The 56,000 square foot 'cutting edge performance space' will be able to accommodate 3,500 guests for a variety of events and shows. The venue is estimated to open in 2028. Additionally, a new hotel will open adjacent to the venue, featuring two restaurants within. Gore says the venue and hotel will further establish an entertainment district for Huber Heights, offering 'a dynamic hub for conferences, expos, and special events.' Finally, Dublin Pub will open a new location, Dublin Seven, offering upscale Irish cuisine, live music and more. This restaurant will also be located within the entertainment district. Mayor Gore says these announcements are a major step forward for Huber Heights. 'These announcements are all wonderful signs of our momentum, and each represent the kind of city that we're building together,' said Gore. 'One that values connection, celebrates progress and plans boldly for our future.' Mayor Gore also praised the city's growth in the past year, stating 30 new businesses opened in Huber Heights last year, and 22 have opened so far this year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store