Posted on 05/28/2024
ONE BIG THING: VOTING “NO” ON THE CITY BUDGET
What happened?
This week, we voted “No” on the city budget, but it passed 12-3 over our objection.
The final budget deprioritizes funding for rental support, homelessness services, and street lighting — the top three issues our office hears from constituents about.
At the same time, funding for the LAPD will increase by about $130 million, with tens of millions of dollars allocated to vacant positions that we know we won’t be able to fill. In other words, money that should be going towards increasing valuable social services will instead be sent to the LAPD, in order to fund new positions that will most likely remain vacant.
Still, we were able to introduce or support some amendments that modified the proposed budget in positive ways, including:
- Rescuing some funding to continue the Rapid Response Senior Meals Program. (We introduced)
- Clarifying how the city can spend money from Measure ULA to make housing more affordable. (We introduced)
- Restoring essential positions in the Fire Department. (We supported)
Why it Matters
Approving the city budget is one of the most important functions of City Council because the budget decides where all of our tax money is spent.
The status quo in LA is unacceptable. When the Council approves a budget that fails to prioritize our most critical social services, without delivering the transformation in our public safety system that our residents are demanding, we are doubling down on the same mistakes that got us into this situation.
By voting “No” on the budget, along with Councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez and Nithya Raman, we are sending a message to Angelenos that the service reductions we will all experience next year did not need to happen.
What’s Next?
Even though this budget was approved despite our objection, this fight isn’t over. Four times each year, City Council reviews how the entire city is spending its money, providing us with opportunities to adjust the budget.
Next week, we’ll take a look at the motions we introduced to try to improve the budget mid-year, including expanding unarmed response and strengthening wage theft enforcement.
Two More Quick Hits!
1. G-O-O-D L-U-C-K OLIVER!
On Friday, we had the opportunity to meet Oliver Halkett, a 12 year old resident of CD13, who is also the first ever winner of California’s State Spelling Bee from Los Angeles County!
Oliver will be competing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C next week, so we’re wishing him good luck as he takes on the best spellers from all over the country!
2. Mental Health Awareness Month
As we enter the final week of Mental Health Awareness Month, we want to bring special attention to this incredibly important topic. I have been in therapy on and off for the past 13 years, and have seen first hand the immeasurable impact that we can have when we remove the stigma around mental health treatment.
The fact is, mental health IS health, and we should encourage anyone who is struggling with their own mental health to seek help and talk to someone.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a Mental Health crisis, reach out to the LA County Department of Mental Health at 800-854-7771, or for 24/7 crisis support, call the National Suicide Crisis Hotline at 9-8-8.