Council OKs $4.9-Billion Budget Plan

The Los Angeles City Council on Monday approved the bulk of Mayor Richard Riordan’s proposed $4.9-billion budget, making only minor changes to include more money for fixing sidewalks, expanding emergency medical services and hiring teenagers for summer jobs.

With a strong economy making the city flush with cash, the lawmakers voted 10 to 0 to raise spending in nearly every city agency for the fiscal year starting July 1. Under the council plan, the city will prune 14,000 more trees than it trimmed this year; resurface a record 275 miles of road; and fix 78 miles of sidewalk, up from 26 miles this year.

The council also agreed to set aside nearly $100,000 to provide every elementary school student in the city with a public library card, an idea proposed by Rep. Xavier Becerra during his recent mayoral campaign.

“We are benefiting from an economy that is going well,” said Councilman Mike Feuer, who heads the council’s budget committee. “The residents of our city are going to see increased services next year on a whole array of issues--from expanded library hours to more and more sidewalks being repaired, many more than the last 20 years at least.”

Deputy Mayor Jennifer Roth, Riordan’s budget director, said she was pleased that “99% of the mayor’s budget was adopted as presented.”

However, she said that a few of the council’s changes could hurt the city if there is a sharp economic downturn.

For example, Roth said, the council agreed to increase the amount of debt in the budget, from $38 million to $91 million, and decrease the reserve fund, from a record $105 million to $99 million.

“That’s something we want to take a look at so we’re sure we’re passing along a very stable city, financially,” said Roth.

The council must take a second vote on the budget next week. After that, Riordan has five days to decide whether to veto the council changes.

Despite Roth’s concerns, council members said they believe the reserve should be more than adequate.

“The budget was prepared with conservative revenue estimates in mind,” Feuer said.

At Riordan’s suggestion, the council agreed to set aside more than $10 million for a housing trust fund, which will be used to encourage landlords to keep rents low.

The council also agreed to set aside money to hire 360 police officers and 81 paramedics. A library will be built in Koreatown, and thousands of new books will be purchased for libraries across the city. Library hours will also be expanded at 16 locations.

At Riordan’s request, the council also agreed to buy 25 new ambulances.

City lawmakers called for an additional $24 million in spending, including $2 million for summer youth employment, $1.5 million for additional staffing at the city’s busiest fire station and $4.8 million for sidewalk repairs.

“We believe these are the priorities our residents care about the most,” Feuer said.

At the last minute, the council agreed to set aside at least $3 million to help with the $63-million renovation of the Griffith Park Observatory, which has not had a facelift since it was built in 1935.

The council took the action at the urging of Susan Nimoy, wife of “Star Trek” star Leonard Nimoy. She said she and her husband were planning to donate $1 million to build a theater at the observatory, and wanted to make sure that the city kicked in some money to help with other renovations.

“We discovered that the city had not given any money to the capital campaign,” Susan Nimoy said. “We believe it is absolutely imperative for a city like Los Angeles that we have the best observatory that money can buy.”