LOS ANGELES Mayor Eric Garcetti on Wednesday, May 27, signed an $8.6-billion budget for 2015-16, following unanimous approval by the City Council on May 21.
The budget boosts funding for the Fire Department – which has endured a five-year hiring freeze – by $55 million, while a revision by the council adds $4.5 million for the hiring of 270 recruits, up from the 180 recruits this year.
It also includes additions to the police department, including $70 million for overtime, $4.5 million for the purchasing of 7,000 body cameras and $500,000 to reduce fingerprinting backlog.
At a hearing on May 21, Councilman Paul Krekorian said the 2015-16 budget, which begins July 1, will allow the city to fill 350,000 potholes, trim 57,000 trees and preserve 2,400 lane-miles of pavement, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Still, he warned that city leaders should maintain caution: The budget assumes a 5.5-percent increase in revenues (including property tax, sales tax and hotel tax revenue). Furthermore, it does not expect salary raises for about 20,000 city employees, and expects they will pay a larger portion of their health care costs. Many employee unions are still in negotiations with the city.
“While there’s much good news in this, there’s also reason to continue to be conservative, continue to be careful about what we do in our budget,” Krekorian said on May 21.
Other budget allocations give about $9 million for street and alley cleaning and the placement of 1,200 trash cans throughout the city, $6.5 million for tree trimming and $10 million for affordable housing. About $300 million will be set aside in a “rainy day” reserve fund.
Garcetti called the budget a result of an “unprecedented collaboration” between the City Council and mayor’s office. (with reports from City News Service and Los Angeles Times)
(LA Weekend May 30 – June 2, 2015 Sec. A pg.1)
