Controller Reveals City’s Startling Proposal to Counter Looming Budget Deficit.
Los Angeles Controller Kenneth Meijia released a budget deficit update after his stern warning that the city could face a serious budget deficit in the future, as we reported on in February. Apparently, the solution that the city government has proposed to this potential budget crisis is startling.
Meijia pointed out that the deficit was largely caused by overspending in three different departments. The top three areas of overspending are the Los Angeles Police Department, which spent $105 million; liability claims, which spent $92 million, of which the LAPD’s liability claims were half, or roughly $46 million; and the Fire Department, which spent $52 million.
Liability claims come into play when a resident of the city or county feels like something that a city employee, like a police officer, has done something that has injured them in some way, and they sue for damages. Many such lawsuits are settled by the city, and the money to pay the damages comes from the city’s General Fund rather than from the department itself.
Meijia tweeted, “The City is proposing to ELIMINATE 1,974 city positions including from MOST city departments who are NOT overspending.
This includes cutting ALL the vacant Controller positions we’ve been trying to fill, including accountants and auditors.”
He added, via social media, “If you chop off 20% of a Lexus, you don’t get a Camry, you get a wreck.” and “The City is proposing to eliminate 1,974 job positions amidst a staffing shortage across all city departments to save to pay for overspending in police, liability claims, & more.”
