LA County Floats Leaner Budget Burdened by Fire and Legal Costs

Private contractors remove debris from a home destroyed by the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, on Feb. 11.

Photographer: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg

Los Angeles County leadership unveiled a nearly $48 billion budget plan on Monday that leans on spending cuts to help mitigate fiscal challenges caused by the recent wildfires and costs related to a legal settlement.

The recommended spending plan for the most populous US county with about 10 million residents is about $1.3 billion less than last year’s approved budget. It includes about $88.9 million of cuts, including the elimination of 310 vacant positions, according to a presentation outlining the budget.