Panel OKs Hahn’s Budget

Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn’s $5.3-billion spending plan for the city won support from the City Council’s budget committee Tuesday -- with a few changes.

In contrast to last spring when the mayor and council publicly feuded for four weeks over the budget, Hahn immediately released a letter praising council members for their “hard work.”

In a bleak budget year, the spending plan calls for big cuts in many departments to maintain services such as street paving and affordable housing and fund a modest, 30-officer expansion of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Officials also stressed that more belt-tightening would be necessary in the years to come, because the city continues to spend more than it receives.

“We have a massive structural budget deficit,” Ron Deaton, the city’s chief legislative analyst, told council members. “If you don’t have the money, you can’t continue to hire people.”

Still, officials said Tuesday that they had managed to find about $30 million more from a variety of sources for next year’s budget, including $9 million more from the Department of Water and Power, $2.5 million more from reimbursements from bond projects and $3 million more from permit fees.

The additional funds enabled council members to recommend spending more for landscaping, park maintenance and code enforcement, as well as for a host of smaller city operations. Council members also rebuffed the mayor’s proposal to eliminate the city’s environmental affairs department.

In addition, the budget committee suggested putting $20 million into the city’s reserve fund, to help offset the millions the state is expected to take from the city when the Legislature finalizes the state budget later this year.

The Los Angeles budget will go to the full council for a vote. Council members could propose more changes at that time. Then, the mayor has five days to sign or veto the plan.