LA WATCHDOG - If Eric Garcetti and Tom LaBonge are really serious about helping the Department of Recreation and Parks, they must lead the full frontal assault to place a charter amendment on the March 2013 ballot that would guarantee proper funding for the Department, its infrastructure, and its programs.
And if they are really, really serious, they will push for the establishment of wide array of Public Private Partnerships with the Neighborhood Councils and other local civic organizations to oversee our parks, their infrastructure, facilities, and programs.
Over the last several years, the budget for Recreation and Parks has been mauled by “charge backs” in connection with the City’s “full cost recovery” program, including $43.5 million in the upcoming budget. These relatively new expenditures include $25 million for General Fund Cost Reimbursement, an allocation of $15 million to cover a portion of the City’s bill from the Department of Water and Power, and $3.4 million for Refuse Collection Services.
Put another way, these reimbursements of $43.5 million to various City departments represent over 30% of the charter mandated appropriation of $143 million.
Fortunately, about 40% of these “charge backs” are offset by reimbursements of $17 million from other City departments, including almost $6 million from the Harbor. Nevertheless, Recreation & Parks is out $27 million, or 19% of its charter mandated appropriation.
As a result, Recreation & Parks has been forced to reduce its staffing over the last four years by over 20%, including a 50% reduction in programming personnel and the elimination of 155 positions that were part of the maintenance staff.
[As a side note, Recreation & Parks is one of the very few departments to be hit with the City’s “full cost recovery” program.]
To offset these devastating cuts, all Garcetti and LaBonge need to do is mimic voter approved Measure L, the March 2011 ballot measure that increased the charter appropriated funding for the Library by 71% over a three year period, with the stipulation that the Library would be responsible for all its direct and indirect costs, including pensions and medical benefits.
For a charter amendment to make Recreation and Parks self sufficient (including the payment of $81 million in Related Costs such as pensions and benefits), to maintain and repair its parks and facilities, and to restore programs for our youth, seniors, and disabled, the charter appropriation will need to be increased 70%, or $100 million, over the next three years, an amount equal to 2.2% of the General Fund.
There will be considerable opposition to this charter amendment. For example, The Los Angeles Times does not support “ballot box budgeting” while the Los Angeles Police Protective League is concerned about the allocation of scarce resources, except, of course, when it comes to the Police Department.
These same arguments were used against Library in March of 2011. But Measure L passed with over 63% of the vote as Angelenos considered the Library to be a core service that needed protection from the larger, well funded unions that have a disproportionate, backroom influence on the weak kneed City Council and the Mayor.
Many will argue that any increase in funding for this core service should be supported by a new parcel tax. But that is total nonstarter, dead on arrival, as Angelenos will not vote to approve any tax increase given their absolute disdain and disgust for the Mayor, the City Council, and the campaign funding union leadership, who are collectively viewed as the self serving, inept meatheads responsible for the City’s financial predicament that borders on insolvency.
However, before approving a charter amendment, the Mayor and the City Council must determine the source of funding for this increase in the Department’s budget, much like it would be required to do under the provision of the “Live Within Its Means” charter amendment that mandates any increase in spending will need to be funded by actual sources of revenue.
Garcetti and LaBonge must also support the establishment of Private Public Partnerships with Neighborhood Councils and other civic organizations to oversee our parks, ranging from Griffith and Elysian Parks to the Poinsettia Recreation Center to Harold Henry Park to the many pocket parks throughout our City.
These local partnerships will be responsible for all phases of the maintenance operation, including arranging for numerous volunteers and contracting with the City and other eligible third parties. These partnerships will also oversee many of the Department’s less specialized programs. The funding will be provided by the Department based on the reasonable allocation of its projected expenditures (both direct and indirect) of $269 million, less a modest discount that would accrue to the cash starved City.
The battle with the campaign funding unions over the allocation of scarce resources and the establishment of Public Private Partnerships will show whether Garcetti and LaBonge, along with Richard Alarcon and Budget & Finance Committee Chair Paul Krekorian who both seconded the Garcetti / LaBonge motion (Council File 12-0648: Innovative Models), are serious about protecting this core City service, or whether their support is nothing but election year methane emanating from the City Hall barnyard.
And, besides, what’s wrong with allowing the 99% Angelenos that do not occupy City Hall to decide how they want to spend their money? After all, it is our City.
(Jack Humphreville writes LA Watchdog for CityWatch He is the President of the DWP Advocacy Committee and the Ratepayer Advocate for the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council. Humphreville is the publisher of the Recycler -- www.recycler.com. He can be reached at: [email protected]) –cw
Tags: Jack Humphreville, LA Watchdog, Department of Recreation & Parks, Rec & Parks, Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, Tom LaBonge
CityWatch
Vol 10 Issue 42
Pub: May 25, 2012