LA’s Balanced Budget Short on Reform

LA WATCHDOG-The Mayor and the City Council had it pretty easy this year with the proposed $5.4 billion budget as General Fund revenues surged by almost $300 million as a result of the improved economy.  Rather than the usual drama surrounding budget cuts and belt tightening efficiencies, Mayor Garcetti (photo) was able to provide additional resources to the Police and Fire Departments and fund a number of other programs, including his Great Streets and Clean Streets Initiatives and the $1 million Park Restroom Enhancement Program. 

The City’s hopefully-not-misplaced optimism is also demonstrated by its plan to increase its work force by 2.2%, or almost 700 positions, including 188 for the Police and Fire Departments, 77 for Sanitation, and an incredible 195 (a 28%  increase) for the Bureau of Street Services. 

At the same time, despite higher spending levels, the City once again anticipates breaking even in 2018-19 because of higher tax revenues and slightly lower than expected pension contributions. But this leaves very little room for unanticipated events or a downturn in the economy or stock market.  

Once again, however, our City’s leadership has failed to endorse reform of its financial and budgetary policies or its bloated and mismanaged operations. 

For example, City Hall has not developed a definitive long range operational and financial plan to repair and maintain our streets and sidewalks, or for that matter, the rest of our deteriorating infrastructure.  While our Elected Elite are giving each other high fives over the settlement of the class action lawsuit involving our broken sidewalks, the allocation of $1.4 billion over the next thirty years is inadequate compared to preliminary plans that were touted last year by Councilmembers Mitch Englander and Joe Buscaino when the City was considering a $4.5 billion tax increase to fund the repair and maintenance of our streets and sidewalks over the next fifteen years. 

The City has also failed to develop a long term plan for our lunar cratered streets, relying instead on an unsustainable and ultimately very expensive program of just fixing pot holes and maintaining our worst in the nation streets in their current condition. 

The City has made some modest attempts at pension reform directed at newly hired sworn and civilian employees.  But these “solutions” do not address the $12 billion unfunded liability associated with existing City employees and the risks associated with an adverse stock market. 

Rather, the City will be forced to hold the line on increases in wages, cost of living adjustments, and healthcare benefits to offset the ever increasing pension contributions that now devour over 20% of the budget.  As it is, the average cost per City employee (salaries, overtime, pensions, benefits, and workers’ compensation) is a very generous $144,000, up 50% from $96,000 in 2006.  

Our Elected Elite have also not addressed the operations or efficiency of its work force that are burdened by poor management, antiquated management information systems, overstaffing, high overheads, overly restrictive work rules, no strategic or long range planning, and constant meddling by the know-it-alls that occupy City Hall.  

For example, a recent audit by Controller Ron Galperin of the Bureau of Services revealed a poorly managed, inefficient organization with substandard utilization of its labor force.  Yet this is the same department that will be charged with repairing our sidewalks at a cost that may be 50% higher than private contractors. 

While the surge in revenues associated with the improvement in the economy provides the City with some needed breathing room, it still must continue to hold the line against increases in its work force and overhead.  Rather, the City must reform its budgetary, financial, and operations so it will be in a position to withstand the next downturn in the economy. 

 

(Jack Humphreville writes LA Watchdog for CityWatch. He is the President of the DWP Advocacy Committee, The Ratepayer Advocate for the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council, and a Neighborhood Council Budget Advocate. Humphreville is the publisher of the Recycler Classifieds -- www.recycler.com. He can be reached at:  [email protected]) 
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CityWatch

Vol 13 Issue 34

Pub: Apr 24, 2015