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BUDGET DAY - Most people don't spend much time thinking about the City of Los Angeles budget. It isn't exciting. It doesn't generate headlines like elections, scandals, or major development projects. Yet no single document has a greater impact on your daily life.
The city budget determines whether your street gets repaired. It determines how quickly potholes are filled, sidewalks are fixed, trees are trimmed, and graffiti is removed. It affects police staffing, fire protection, emergency response times, park maintenance, sanitation services, homelessness programs, planning approvals, and countless other services that residents depend on every day.
In short, the budget determines your quality of life.
When residents complain about deteriorating streets, slow city services, public safety concerns, or the difficulty of getting permits approved, the conversation almost always comes back to one thing: how City Hall chooses to spend your tax dollars.
The budget is not created by one person. It is shaped by the Mayor, the City Council, city departments, and numerous stakeholders who compete for limited resources. Every dollar spent in one area is a dollar that cannot be spent somewhere else. Those decisions affect every neighborhood in Los Angeles.
The question is simple: Are you satisfied with the services you receive for the taxes you pay?
Maybe you know the answer. Maybe you don't. But Budget Day gives you the opportunity to learn where your money goes and how those spending decisions affect your community.
On Saturday, June 27, residents from across Los Angeles will gather at City Hall for Budget Day, hosted by the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Budget Advocates. The event begins with a complimentary breakfast at 7:30 a.m., followed by presentations and discussions featuring city leaders and budget experts.
Attendees will hear directly from key decision-makers, learn about the challenges facing the city, and gain a better understanding of how budget choices impact everything from public safety and infrastructure to housing and economic development.
Most importantly, participants will have the opportunity to join regional breakout sessions where they can discuss the issues affecting their neighborhoods. This is your chance to tell city leaders what is working, what is not working, and what priorities matter most to your community.
Too often, people wait until a service fails before they become involved. By then, the decisions have already been made. Budget Day gives residents a seat at the table before the next budget cycle begins.
The future of Los Angeles should not be decided solely by elected officials, department heads, and policy experts. It should include the voices of the people who live here, work here, own businesses here, raise families here, and pay taxes here.
If you care about safer neighborhoods, cleaner streets, better services, stronger infrastructure, and a more accountable City Hall, then Budget Day is for you.
The budget affects every resident. Every neighborhood. Every day.
The only question is whether you will have a voice in the conversation.
Join us on Saturday, June 27, at Los Angeles City Hall. Learn how your city spends your money. Share your priorities. Be part of the solution.
Because change begins when citizens show up.
Budget Day 2026
Saturday, June 27, 2026
Los Angeles City Hall
Breakfast Begins at 7:30 a.m.
Register today: tiny.cc/BudgetDay26
(Mihran Kalaydjian is a seasoned public affairs and government relations professional with more than twenty years of experience in legislative affairs, public policy, community relations, and strategic communications. A respected civic leader and education advocate, he has spearheaded numerous academic and community initiatives, shaping dialogue and driving reform in local and regional political forums. His career reflects a steadfast commitment to transparency, accountability, and public service across Los Angeles and beyond.)
(Jay Handal is a veteran community advocate and longtime CityWatch contributor who plays a central role in holding Los Angeles City Hall accountable. He serves as treasurer of the West LA–Sawtelle Neighborhood Council. With decades of grassroots organizing and civic leadership, Jay is a relentless voice for transparency, fiscal reform, and empowering neighborhoods to challenge waste, mismanagement, and backroom decision-making at City Hall.)
