L.A. Residents – Weigh In on the City Budget

Mayor Karen Bass has released her proposed $13.9 billion city budget for the 2025–26 fiscal year and Los Angeles residents are invited to offer their input before it’s finalized.

Because the city is facing a budget shortfall of more than $800 million, Bass proposed narrowing the gap with a workforce reduction of more than 1,600 positions, consolidating city departments and postponing capital projects. Bass said no sworn officers or firefighters will be among the layoffs.

Increasing liability payouts costing the city $300 million, an additional $259 million in labor contracts and lower tax revenue have led to the budget deficit, which is further exacerbated by the costs of fighting and recovery from the historic January wildfires in the Pacific Palisades.

This is not the final budget. City Council members want to hear from Angelenos before they vote to approve a final budget in June.

Public hearings begin on Monday, April 28, at 4 p.m. at L.A. City Hall. For a schedule of hearings, visit https://clerk.lacity.gov/calendar. 📝 Can’t attend in person? Submit written comments online at LACouncilComment.com using Council File #25-0600.

Budget Snapshot – FY 2025–26 Highlights:

This proposed budget is an overall increase of 8.2 percent over the 2024-2025 Fiscal Year budget.

📈 Funding Increases:

Fire Dept (LAFD): +$103.7M, 227 new positions

LAPD: +$6.1M

City Attorney: +$9.6M

City Controller: +$2.2M

City Council: +$2.1M
Mayor’s Office: +$599M

📉 Job Cuts: 1,647 total

Top departments impacted:

LAPD (civilian staff): 403

Transportation: 262

Sanitation: 159

Street Services: 130
Planning: 114

The Top 5 Takeaways from Mayor Karen Bass’ State of the City Address

(Plus a Bonus on Reviving LA’s Entertainment Industry)

Mayor Karen Bass delivered her 2025 State of the City Address on April 21, laying out urgent priorities and fresh initiatives. (You can watch it here: https://mayor.lacity.gov/SOTC2025) We covered it live on our Threads account. Make sure to follow us there at @lasentinelnews.

Here are the key highlights:

Tackling a Major Budget Shortfall

Facing an $800 million deficit, Bass proposes cutting over 1,600 city jobs, consolidating departments, postponing capital projects, and eliminating “ghost positions.”
The shortfall stems from skyrocketing liability payouts triple the city’s annual average at $300 million, a $259 million increase in labor contracts and $140 million less in property tax revenue, along with costs of personnel and of rebuilding after the January wildfires.
On April 24, Bass traveled to Sacramento to advocate for state support.

Fast-Tracking Wildfire Recovery

Bass announced the recovery from the Palisades fire is on track to be “the fastest in California history” with:

permits to rebuild being issued twice as fast as after the Camp and Woolsey fires
water restored almost a year and a half sooner than the Camp fire
power restored in two months

This is all in addition to the support from the Disaster Recovery Center, opened in January, which has helped nearly 10,000 households replace vital documents and obtain recovery services. The four Impacted Worker and Family Recovery Centers opened across the city have provided financial and business assistance to affected individuals.

New measures to speed up the rebuilding process include:

A self-certification program to cut permitting delays
AI technology to accelerate plan approvals
A proposed ordinance to waive plan check and permit fees

Progress on Homelessness

Street homelessness in LA dropped by 10.7 percent– the first double-digit decrease in nine years– even as homelessness surged 18 percent nationwide. There has also been a 38 percent reduction of tents and makeshift structures.

As part of a coalition of 50 mayors who built a partnership with U.S. Vets in D.C., every veteran in LA can now obtain a housing voucher.
Bass says this progress is the result of committed individuals who are taking action on her key initiatives, which are:

Inside Safe: Using underutilized motels to quickly move people indoors quickly and clear out tents
LA4LA, a public-private partnership: Turning vacant buildings into long-term interim housing faster and less expensively than building new construction
Mayor’s Fund: Connecting tens of thousands with eviction prevention resources

Crime is Down

Violent and property crimes have decreased, including a 14 percent drop in homicides and a 45 percent drop in gang-related crime in hard-hit communities. The number of shooting victims also fell 19 percent.

Bass launched a “first-of-its-kind” Office of Community Safety, which works with trained and trusted intervention specialists to prevent crime and reduce violence across LA.

She appointed new LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell. With LAPD applications at a four-year high, she is eliminating the “bureacratic madness” to help get even more officers hired and working on the streets.

Shine LA: Revitalizing the City Together

Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympics, Bass introduced Shine LA—a monthly volunteer cleanup effort to bring Angelenos together to beautify neighborhoods and build community pride.
The first event will be held citywide on Saturday, April 26. Learn more and get involved here.

Bonus takeaway: “Let’s Bring Hollywood Back”

To support LA’s struggling entertainment workforce, Bass is: