LA City Council Passes Budget That Trims Police, Fire Spending
Firefighters work to contain hot spots during the aftermath of the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, on Jan. 11.
Photographer: Kyle Grillot/BloombergThe Los Angeles City Council approved a $13.9 billion budget proposal for the next fiscal year on Friday, trimming Mayor Karen Bass’s plans to increase public safety spending, in an effort to reduce layoffs amid a nearly $800 million deficit.
In an 11-2 vote, council members endorsed a revised spending plan that departs from Bass’s original proposal, which called for 1,600 layoffs. The new plan trims the layoff count to roughly 700, still impacting workers in sanitation, street maintenance and administrative roles.