Council Gives Fire Department Funding Boost in New Budget
The Los Angeles City Council formally adopted a new budget Tuesday, calling for a slowdown in police hiring but boosting Fire Department funding for the first time in years.
The $2.7-billion spending plan, which will return to the mayor’s office for review, boosts city spending by $100 million and closes a projected budget shortfall of $7 million through a combination of cuts to existing programs and new revenue.
One new source of money that will not be included, however, is a proposed “cat tax” that would have required owners to pay a license fee. The City Council unanimously rejected that proposal.
The 1997-1998 budget, presented to the council last month by Mayor Richard Riordan, stirred little controversy among lawmakers who have remarked on the ease with which this budget passed.
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