City Atty. Seeks to Add Staff, Limit Suits, Raise Revenue

Los Angeles City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo proposed several measures Thursday designed to curb lawsuits against the city and to go after delinquent bill payers, which he said will save $15 million now and more over time.

“It’s an important time for us to think strategically about how we can generate revenue and keep liability down, because we need [money] for our cops and kids and communities,” he said in an interview.

Delgadillo wants to add about 20 people to his staff to more aggressively go after money owed the city, better manage workers’ compensation claims and create a unit focused on reducing the city’s liabilities.

Mayor James K. Hahn, who must approve the city attorney’s plan, suggested some similar steps to handle workers’ compensation claims and unpaid bills when he held the office.

But Tim McOsker, the mayor’s chief of staff, said Delgadillo’s proposals do not answer Hahn’s recent request that city department heads find ways to immediately save money to fend off the city’s looming budget crunch.

“These are proposals we will look at individually, but these are not cost savings plans within the city attorney’s office,” McOsker said. “In this budget year, we would very much appreciate that the city attorney’s office find ways to take the 470 attorneys they have and look for . . . budget savings.”

In fact, Delgadillo is asking the City Council and the mayor to allocate about $1 million to make the new hires and to purchase the equipment needed for his proposals. City Council President Alex Padilla has agreed to carry the motion, which is still being drafted.

“Over time, this will provide other savings down the road,” Delgadillo said. “I do think it’s important to invest now.”

Delgadillo has vowed to slow the city’s growing liability problem, which is expected to cost $192 million this year. The city attorney said he will now be providing department heads quarterly reports on the liability claims related to their departments and assist them in identifying trends they can prevent.

He also said he has identified $10 million in excess funds budgeted for police liability claims related to the Rampart scandal. That could be spent for other projects, he said.