EMPOWER LA - Los Angeles is the only city in the country offering its stakeholders incredible access into its budget process through the Neighborhood Council system. The City is facing fiscal challenges, and it’s important for our communities to be informed and to provide input to the City’s decision-makers.
The budget process unfolds throughout the year, but an important starting point for engagement for Neighborhood Councils, and all LA stakeholders, is the annual Mayor’s Community Budget Day, which will be held this year on Saturday, November 17th, from 8:00 am – 12:00 noon at City Hall, 200 N. Spring Street. You can RSVP right now here or by calling 213-978-1551.
At the Mayor’s Community Budget Day, you can be involved in three ways: 1) as a stakeholder, 2) as a Budget Representative, and/or 3) as a Budget Advocate. Everyone who attends is automatically a stakeholder. Simply by attending, becoming informed, and sharing your views, you will be making a difference.
We also need folks who will become more involved. You may have the opportunity to attend as one of the two designated Budget Representatives from your Neighborhood Council. Many Neighborhood Councils have not chosen their two Representatives yet, so contact your Neighborhood Council Chair or President and ask about how you can represent your neighborhood.
As a Representative, you will be the liaison through which your Neighborhood Council will receive budget updates and developments on a regular basis.
At the Mayor’s Community Budget Day, you can go to the next level and choose to run to become your region’s Neighborhood Council Budget Advocate. This level of commitment is the highest, and also is the most rewarding.
Over the years, the Neighborhood Council Budget Advocates have gone deeply into the budget process. After having direct meetings with City Officials, City Department Heads and City Labor leaders, the Budget Advocates have provided the Mayor and City Council with informed, detailed recommendations on the City budget.
If you think you might want to become a Budget Advocate, think about what your community’s needs are, look into the current budget issues being written about in the local media, visit the City’s website, etc. Begin thinking about how you will sell yourself to your peers as being the person who will best communicate with them, understand the issues, and advocate for your community’s interests.
Then, at the Mayor’s Community Budget Day, make your interest known when nominations are opened for the election of the 2012-2013 Budget Advocates.
As a Budget Advocate, you will need to maintain monthly communication with your region’s Budget Representatives, learn budget basics, help develop and promote a citywide budget survey, communicate the Neighborhood Councils’ priorities at a meeting with the Mayor, and have the opportunity to work with the City Council as the budget works its way through to adoption.
The time commitment is generally one evening meeting every couple weeks. Also, some day meetings with public officials will occur as needed.
The Los Angeles City Charter gives Neighborhood Councils an important advisory role on issues that affect their neighborhoods and in the preparation of the Mayor’s budget, and while the City budget is adopted citywide, the budget definitely affects each one of us in our local neighborhoods.
While the City has taken important steps to get through the economic crisis over the last few years, some difficult choices still need to be made to address the significant deficits that are currently projected for this year and beyond.
With such high stakes, it’s essential that Neighborhood Councils participate, and it’s essential that you participate.
Info: Mayor’s Community Budget Day. Saturday, November 17, 8a – 12n, Los Angeles City Hall, 200 N Spring Street. Parking free. RSVP, more details, here.
(Joseph Hari is Policy Project Coordinator at the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment. He can be reached at [email protected])
CityWatch
Vol 10 Issue 87
Pub: Oct 30, 2012