ONE BIG THING: BUDGET TENSION
What Happened?
The city is staring down a $263 million budget deficit heading into next fiscal year.
How we got here:
- Lower revenue. Federal cuts from Republican’s "Big Beautiful Bill" gutted local safety net programs, and fear from immigration raids chilled economic activity. Less spending across the city means less sales tax coming in.
- Higher costs. Legal payouts are $199 million over budget, with $152 million coming from the LAPD. We've pushed to limit these — including banning tear gas and rubber bullets at protests — but haven't been able to get it through Council.
- Palisades Fire fee waivers. Thousands of fire victims are rebuilding through no fault of their own, so the city waived their permit fees — leaving a gap the city now has to fill from other sources.
- More hiring, less transparency. Last year's budget cut about 275 civilian LAPD positions. Then mid-year, City Council voted 9-4 to spend an extra $25 million a year to hire 130 new sworn officers — outside the normal budget process, with no plan for where the money comes from. We voted against this fiscally irresponsible move, but the city is now paying the price.
Why it Matters
Last year's deficit was $1 billion— four times larger. But here's the thing: we already made painful cuts. Services were slashed, and around the city, you can feel it.
This year's $263 million hole means we can't restore any of those cuts — and we’ll likely have to make even more.
But there's a path forward — and it starts with getting serious about where the money is going. We've been pushing hard for real cost savings, and now is the moment to make it count.
What’s Next?
On Monday, the Mayor will release her proposed budget for next fiscal year.
Residents will then be able to weigh in on the budget online or at City Council on April 24 and 27. After that, the City Council has until June 1 to make changes and send it back to the Mayor for her to sign it into effect.
Three More Quick Hits
- Vermont Ave Bike Lanes
Metro's Vermont Transit Corridor project is bringing dedicated bus lanes to one of LA's busiest corridors — and we want to make sure bikes are part of the picture too.
This week, City Council passed the motion we seconded from Councilwoman Heather Hutt directing the city to study adding bike lanes along the corridor, and whether we can require Metro to fund them under Measure HLA.
- Measure ULA Emergency Rental Assistance Application Open
Low-income renter households with a senior or person with a disability can now apply for up to $19,000 in emergency rental assistance through Measure ULA.
Seniors are one of the fastest-growing groups experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles, so this funding will help keep some of our most vulnerable residents housed and supported.
Go to gofwd.live/ULAISP to learn more and apply!
- Volunteer Opportunity for Food Distribution
Looking for opportunities to get involved in CD13? We’re calling on volunteers who are willing to take part in uplifting our communities & have some fun while doing so!
Join us in providing our neighbors with FREE, fresh clean eats at our upcoming Community Food Distribution alongside El Centro del Pueblo on Friday, April 24th from 7:30 AM to 12:00 PM!