Budget OKd With Vetoes by Bradley

The city of Los Angeles’ budget for the 1991-1992 fiscal year was formally adopted Wednesday as the City Council voted unanimously to sustain four minor changes contained in Mayor Tom Bradley’s veto message.

Bradley’s changes--amounting to $1.3 million out of a $3.9-billion budget--restored funding for sweeping of 119 city-run parking lots, office machines for the city treasurer, $400,000 for the Emergency Operations Fund and four staff positions in the Engineering Department.

The vote Wednesday, just a few hours after Bradley submitted his list of four line-item vetoes with the city clerk, puts to rest one of the most difficult budget deliberations in a decade.

In all, the mayor and council cut more than $100 million in spending requests and added more than $50 million in new taxes to fill what had been projected to be a $177-million deficit. The fiscal crisis was set off by a soft real estate market and stagnant retail sales that are projected to produce one of the smallest increases in tax revenues since the 1982 recession. The fiscal 1991-1992 budget begins July 1.

The budget cuts include the elimination of nearly 2,000 staff positions through attrition, reductions of fire and paramedic services, the deferral of virtually all capital projects, vehicle purchases and all but a minimum of building maintenance.

Despite the drastic cuts, the budget maintains current Police Department staffing, library and park hours and street paving and tree trimming schedules. It also includes an across-the-board 5% wage increase mandated by a union contract.

“No one in the budget process enjoys reducing city services or imposing additional fees and taxes on our citizens,” Bradley said in a prepared statement. “I am glad that the City Council agreed with many of the proposals within the budget and we can now turn our attention to providing the best in city services for our residents.”