LOS ANGELES : City Council Panel Backs Riordan’s Budget Plan
A Los Angeles City Council committee on Tuesday concurred with Mayor Richard Riordan’s plan for balancing the city budget by trimming expenditures in all other departments to maintain police service.
The Budget and Finance Committee sent to the full council Riordan’s financial plan, which closes a projected $33-million deficit and creates a $17-million contingency fund.
Under the committee’s recommendation, three departments--Cultural Affairs, Recreation and Parks and Telecommunications--will be able to make slight alterations in their budgets as long as they sustain the savings delineated by Riordan.
The committee did not decide whether to lift a city hiring freeze in order to place more staffing decisions in the hands of department managers, as recommended by Riordan. Council members said they are concerned that lifting the freeze could balloon the city’s personnel costs.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
