LOS ANGELES - On Thursday, after three weeks of day-long budget meetings and exhaustive input from city departments and the public, the Los Angeles City Council approved an $8.6 billion balanced city budget for Fiscal Year 2015-2016, which begins July 1.The budget increases funding for public safety, including a 10 percent increase in Fire Dept. funding and 270 new firefighters. It provides for 2,400 miles of street repairs, 57,000 trimmed trees, 350,000 pothole repairs and puts $20 million toward fixing sidewalks, among many other things.
"Without a doubt, our city's budget situation has taken a turn for the better," said Councilmember Krekorian, Chair of the City Council's Budget and Finance Committee. "We experienced significant growth, added neighborhood services, and established the largest rainy day fund in the city's history. This is the best budget we've had in years and it is because of responsible budgeting that will protect Los Angeles for years to come.
"Our work isn't done yet," Krekorian continued. "There is still an ongoing structural deficit that we need to eliminate as soon as we can. I'm confident we will get there through continued collaboration. As the economy continues to grow, I look forward to doing even more to restore services across the city."
Here's a Budget Infographic from Councilmember Krekorian. Please share it widely.