Mayor unveils $6.9-billion budget

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa unveiled his $6.9-billion budget Wednesday during a brutal recession, yet in many ways the 2011-2012 spending plan continues or even expands key city services.

The proposal unveiled at the Central Library calls for elimination of a $457-million shortfall while expanding staffing at the Fire Department, increasing pothole repairs by 20% and adding more library hours, all while hiring enough police officers to maintain the current size of the Police Department.

"We're beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, not just at our libraries but for the rest of the city as well," Villaraigosa said.

He said the increases were possible, in many cases, through staff redeployment and budget-cutting elsewhere.

Still, they were accompanied by a demand for civilian city workers to make financial concessions by contributing more of their salaries toward their healthcare when they retire.

In exchange for those concessions, the city would drop its plan to impose between 26 and 36 furloughs for non-public-safety employees, Villaraigosa said.

That bargain has not convinced street services worker Dan Mariscal, who said it is unfair for Villaraigosa to propose any expansion in funding while demanding givebacks from the workforce.

Mariscal, a union steward, said he no longer trusts the mayor on such matters as furloughs and layoffs.

"We gave concessions. We were promised the same thing in 2009, when they said we would have shared sacrifice and they didn't follow through on what they promised," said Mariscal, who has been calling on his co-workers to reject a proposed deal between Villaraigosa and the Coalition of L.A. City Unions.

A ratification vote on the coalition deal is underway.

Villaraigosa's budget includes a small cut to the city's system of neighborhood councils and a reduction in the amount of money for arts grants at the city's Cultural Affairs Department.

It also calls for an animal shelter in San Fernando Valley to be turned over to a private operator.

But it avoids some of the more drastic cuts suggested earlier this year by the city's top budget advisor, City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana.

In a 400-page report, Santana advised the the mayor and the City Council to consider various reductions, such as the elimination of the Board of Public Works, a five-member panel of Villaraigosa appointees whose members earn more than $100,000 annually.

Santana also pushed for an end to the Department on Disability and reductions of up to 25% for certain programs, including graffiti removal and senior centers.

Villaraigosa's spending plan heads to the City Council, which will begin holding hearings next month on the document.

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Villaraigosa keeps focus on schools the day after State of City speech

-- David Zahniser at Los Angeles City Hall

Photo: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa attends the 22nd annual GLAAD Media Awards at the Westin Bonaventure on April 10. Credit: David Livingston / AFP/Getty Images

Comments

[Whiffed]

So he did....NOTHING! LA, you need to realize that this mayor's entire career is smoke and mirrors. His decisions are based only on who will pay for his next campaign. His method of governing is disgusting.

[val zavala]

The Yahoo home page headline reads "6.9 million" with an "m". Don't we wish.

[roy rogers]

Ha LiL Tony, The first thing is the smartest, cut the fat from the top, the people who don't do anything but waste time and money, yes your associates that you appointed to special projects that are not going anywhere and are a waste of money. We need cops on the street for the freakin taggers and more. We need the street maintaince crews to entertain us with their antics of public intoxication after they fix the pot holes and the burned out street lights, and most of all animal control for all those dogs you have been chasing. So just cut the fat from your friends at the top who sit at their desk taking up air space and money, and you save even more.

[JY]

Still nothing about the pension system that will bankrupt the city of LA and the State of California. That's the real problem. You have window washers at the airport that make $60,000, firemen and police making $150,000-$200,000, in some cases more, plus the life guaranteed pension of almost the same amount. Then during the last year of employment they can spike their pay to get extra retirement.

[MARK WILLIAMS]

WHAT A WASTE OF TAXPAYERS MONEY!!!!

[swhitS]

Villagarosa is a liar and a cheat, I would not trust him as a far as I could throw him.
Stop ALL servics to illegals and we save over 3.5 billion.

[Ivan Gutierrez]

The headline on Yahoo says $6.9 MILLION (this will create alot of hits)

[dahmu]

can you say Mexican take over

[johahtan]

there is no money for the library.

[Concerned Citizen]

City of Los Angeles is too big and so inefficient. It is a waste of taxpayers' money due to mismanagement and unjustified expansion. She would be better off breaking into at least 5 or 6 smaller cities to run more effective and to save some billion dollars which can be used to cut budge deficit or debt or can be used for useful programs that create meaningful jobs.

[u know]

Don't trust this liar. He has brought nothing but bad to our city.

If he had any character at all he would admit he was a failure and immediately resign.

But it's like I said....."IF" he had any character

[Brian]

Why stop at the Dodgers? Would it be possible for Bud Selig to also intervene and take control of the City of Los Angeles, away from Antonio Villaraigosa; who has similarly plundered this City for his own personal gains?

[James Andrews]

How did he find all the money? I thought we were going to fall off a cliff if we didn't raise taxes? Amazing. Did someone yell Wolf and out and out lie to us?

[Bill Thomas]

I have been the MPC Director of one of the city funded Senior Centers for the past five years and while I can accept losing my job I can't accept the loss of a vital program for our area seniors. This year brought the end to our adult daycare program and our seniors who need the help the most and can afford to pay for it the least have been forced to look elsewhere for assistance. These seniors received 2 meals a day through this program (and others). For many this was their only source of food. Now it might be nice to increase hours for the libraries but the last time I checked you can't eat a book. I just think it's very sad to increase city services of any kind if you do it on the backs of our poorest citizens.

[Sue Luna]

L. A. County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich released figures from the Department of Public Social Services showing that in November 2010, $53 million in welfare benefits ($22 million CalWORKs = $31 million in Food Stamps) were issued to parents who reside in the United States illegally and collect benefits for their native-born children in Los Angeles County--representing an increase of nearly 3 million from November 2009. This amounts to approximately 22% of all CalWORKs and Food Stamp issuances in the County.
In 2009, CalWORKs and Food Stamp issuances to illegals totaled nearly $570million. Based on the monthy figures in 2010, the total cost for the year will exceed $600 million.
When you add this to $550 million for public safety and nearly $500 million for healthcare, the total cost for illegal immigrants to County taxpayers excees 1.6 billion dollars a year--not including the hundreds of million of dollars for education. I don't care who enforces the law, just stop the drain on American Tax Payers

[TAM]

The Pint Size Mayor will not cut his friends out their job or his inept deputy mayors. It is time that the city council cut fat, and stop running from it. Having the animal shelter run by a private party will cost the tax payer more. He should have said north central instead of the valley. I have dealt with the staff there, and when you ask a question they can up with some answers from left field. The vet tech is lazy, most of the staff as well.

[Pattie]

City workers can not get Social Security money. If one works for 30 years for the City (and yes, there are many who actually work), they are entitled to their pension.

BTW, the mayor gets in trouble for being unethical (taking tickets and other gifts), but isn't going to pay his fines out of his own pocket. Instead, he's taking money from others (probably the same people who slipped him the tickets). No wonder our city is in trouble. He doesn't need a big staff. He doesn't need to go to all those dog-and-pony appearances with a big entourage. And most city workers don't need to be given cars.

[Fed up in LA]

Does his budget include the $1.5 billion a year spent on Illegal Aliens?