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 [ NEIGHBORHOOD ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=327)

#  Is This Why Kevin De Leon Won’t Go Voluntarily?

Written by Tony Butka.

December 17 2022

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THE EASTSIDER - I’ve always had difficulty understanding why CD14’s Kevin the Great refuses to call it quits and tries to find some sort of political future outside of LA City. That’s before I heard about ‘Special Funds’ for each Council District.

A week or so ago, I promised to share my PRA for CD 14 if and when I received a response. Believe it or not, I just got an actual response with information in it. Here it is:

*Record request #22-12239:*

*Below are the current balances for the special funds administered by the City Clerk's Office. You may want to contact the CLA's Office to obtain CD 14's Office budget*

*CD 14 Public Benefits Trust Fund - $3,510,891.36*

*CD 14 Council Fee Subsidy Acct - $332,561.92*

*CD 14 Neighborhood Service Enhancements - $1,168,536.00*

*Council District Community Services CD 14 - $142,496.20*

*Council District 14 Real Property Trust Fund - $1,110,409.30”*

Holy Molly! That is a ton of money. Remember, that is in addition to KDL and his staff who are still on the City payroll, even though I have yet to receive a response as to who they are and their job class.

And as near as I can figure, Kevin can spend the millions of murky money any way he wants. No wonder that he believes that he can hang in there until the furor goes away.

It also raises a substantial question as to what’s in the special funds of the other Council members and how they spend it. While the Council created an ‘Ad Hoc Committee for City Government Reform’ (CF 22-1285), it is clear that KDL has opened a huge set of questions about every City Council Member and his or her ‘special funds’.

More later...

*(Tony Butka is an Eastside community activist, who has served on a neighborhood council, has a background in government and is a contributor to CityWatch.)*

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