Los Angeles Facing Fiscal Emergency Declaration

Source: EGP News Service

L.A. Facing Fiscal Emergency Declaration

By EGP News Service

Layoffs and mandatory furloughs are no longer an option but a necessity, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa told City Council members Tuesday in a letter that asks them to declare a fiscal emergency.

The city could run out of cash between November and February, Villaraigosa informed the 15-member council, which has final say over most spending.

In fiscal 2009-10, Los Angeles faces a $529 million budget deficit, which could balloon to $1 billion in FY 2010-11. The fiscal year starts July 1.

For those reasons, the mayor asked the council to declare a fiscal emergency.

“These steps are painful. Despite our best efforts to mitigate the fallout from these actions, they will lead down a road that short-changes street repair, cuts library hours, takes traffic officers off the streets and reduces other vital services,” Villaraigosa said in a speech to Town Hall Los Angeles Tuesday afternoon.

Within 30 days, the mayor will implement a furlough plan that requires most city workers—police and firefighters are exempt—to take 26 unpaid days of leave sometime in the coming fiscal year.

By declaring a fiscal emergency, the city could move forward with the furlough plan without the approval of the employees’ unions.

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Read more: http://egpnews.com/?p=9730

Several council members are going to make a lot of noise about this before its accepted, if its accepted

What do they do that is useful? Let's "cut" Villaraigosa and the City Council instead, the schools could use the extra money.