LOS ANGELES : Yaroslavsky Calls for Stricter Hiring Freeze

Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, chairman of the Los Angeles City Council’s Budget and Finance Committee, called Thursday for a stricter hiring freeze than the one in place.

Anticipating state budget cuts, Yaroslavsky said in a letter to the city administrative officer that the city’s “hard” hiring freeze is inadequate “in light of the ongoing economic crisis” in Sacramento.

The most recent plan to come from the state capital would cut $50 million to $60 million from the city budget, Yaroslavsky said in the letter.

“Given the reluctance of many legislators and the governor to authorize additional revenue authority for cities, . . . we must immediately redouble our efforts to downsize our work force,” he wrote to Chief Administrative Officer Keith Comrie.