Katz, L.A. Officials Huddle in Sacramento Over Budget Strategy : Politics: Assemblyman gathers area legislators to hear city leaders’ criticisms of state funding. He says the meeting is part of his job, not an effort to gain an edge in mayoral race.

Capitalizing on his position as a state assemblyman, Los Angeles mayoral hopeful Richard Katz on Thursday summoned a City Hall delegation into the arena he knows best: the Legislature.

While his mayoral opponents were on the hustings in the sunny south, the San Fernando Valley Democrat seemed to be trying to gain an edge in the crowded Los Angeles mayor’s race by orchestrating the budget meeting in the fog-wrapped Capitol.

The session gave the city officials, led by Council President John Ferraro, a chance to tell a bipartisan group of about a dozen Los Angeles-area legislators why they should oppose parts of Gov. Pete Wilson’s proposed state budget. The budget would shift $2.6 billion in property tax money from local governments to schools. City officials estimate that the shift could cost the financially strapped city as much as $350 million.

Katz, who did not allow reporters into the closed-door meeting but made sure they knew about the press conference afterward, got a few laughs from city officials when he joked that he had found $500 million buried in the floor of the ornate old hearing room where the strategy session was held.

But the Los Angeles contingent seemed quite serious about trying to rely on Katz’s clout as a veteran lawmaker with ties to Assembly Speaker Willie Brown to help block proposed state budget cuts.

Katz scoffed at the suggestion that his latest efforts were tied to his campaign for mayor. Katz said he is merely continuing to do his job as a legislator.

Indeed, last year he and other lawmakers pushed through legislation to allow the city to take $44 million in harbor funds to soften the blow of state cuts. As chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee, Katz also has pressed for transit funds for the city.

Also last year, Katz, with little fanfare and before he announced his mayoral candidacy, organized a similar strategy-plotting meeting among lawmakers and city officials.

“Richard did a marvelous job for us last year and we expect him to do an even greater job this year,” said Ferraro, who attended the meeting along with Councilwoman Rita Walters, Controller Rick Tuttle and several other city officials.

The city officials later met with Brown, a San Francisco Democrat, and lunched with Senate President Pro Tem David A. Roberti (D-Van Nuys).

Absent from the Los Angeles delegation were four City Council members who are among Katz’s rivals in the mayor’s race.

One, Ernani Bernardi, commented, “Now it’s open season on the political gimmicks.”

Another, Nate Holden, voiced frustration with the assemblyman, saying Katz was unfairly taking credit for obtaining the harbor funds for the city. Holden contended that nearly two years ago he floated a similar proposal to allow for broader use of harbor revenues.

And Councilman Joel Wachs called the harbor funds shift “just like a Band-Aid.” He said state lawmakers have failed to muster the political courage to overcome special-interest lobbying and allow the city to impose a business tax on banks and savings and loans.

Councilman Michael Woo could not be reached.

Despite Katz’s efforts, there is no indication Los Angeles will get any special treatment in the budget deliberations later this year. “Not any more than the city of San Jose,” said San Jose area Assemblyman John Vasconcellos, Democratic chairman of the Assembly’s Budget Committee.