From A to Zoo: LA's City Budget Crisis Demands a Departmental Reckonin

RANTZ & RAVEZ - It’s Time For A Reality Check And Reflection On The Economic Conditions And Future Financial Strengths Of The City Of Los Angeles…..An American City Facing A Monumental Financial Crisis That Will Impact Each And Every Business And Person Living And Visiting Los Angeles Far Into The Future And For Years To Come…….

I was invited to attend the Mayor’s State of the City 2025 at Los Angeles City Hall on April 21. To save time and avoid the traffic congestion on the 101 freeway, I used the Orange Line Bus to the Red Line Rail to Los Angeles City Hall.

What I noticed along the Orange Line ride was the presence of uniform security personnel. Both LAPD and Security were at the stops and visible to the riders on the bus. Since it was an early ride the line was not busy, and seats were available for everyone. The Rail ride to City Hall was safe and smooth. Many LAPD and other Security personnel were very also very visible.

There is no question that Los Angeles Municipal Government is facing some very difficult financial times moving ahead. It is estimated that the city has a current gap close to One BILLION DOLLARS short of what is needed to run all the current city operations. When the expenses exceed the long list of revenues collected from the assortment of taxes, fees, fines and other municipal dollars generated by the residents, business and general population a problem occurs that impacts everyone governed by the elected and appointed officials who manage the vast operations of the city.

Operations that include everything from A to Z. We can start with the Airports and go down the list of the alphabet to the Zoo. The list includes many important functions like Fire and Police and Building and Safety and some not so recognized to the average resident and business owner. While many of the listed departments perform specific functions, some question why not consolidate where it is a reasonable and a cost saving to the city. I did a bit of research and pulled up the entire list of documented Los Angeles City Departments.

Believe it or not, there are 41 individual departments listed from A to Z. Here is the current list of Los Angeles City Departments, Bureaus and an assortment of city operations that serve Los Angeles. I am sure that some of the current listed departments may surprise you as you ask the question are they all necessary for the Los Angeles City government to serve the assortment of residential and business neighborhoods scattered throughout the vast territory of Los Angeles? In alphabetical order here they are……

City of Los Angeles Departments (A–Z)

Aging, Department of
Airports, Los Angeles World
Animal Services Department
Building and Safety Department
Cannabis Regulation, Department of
City Administrative Officer, Office of the
City Planning Department
City Tourism Department
Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department
Clerk, Office of the City
Community Investment for Families Department
Contract Administration Bureau (Public Works)
Cultural Affairs Department
Disability Department
Economic and Workforce Development Department
El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument Authority
Emergency Management Department
Engineering Bureau (Public Works)
Finance, Office of
Fire Department
General Services Department
Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA)
Housing Department, Los Angeles
Information Technology Agency (ITA)
Library, Los Angeles Public
Neighborhood Empowerment, Department of
Pensions Department, Fire and Police
Personnel Department
Police Department (LAPD)
Port of Los Angeles
Public Accountability/Ratepayer Advocate (OPA), Office of
Public Works Department
Recreation and Parks Department
Retirement System, Los Angeles City Employees’
Sanitation Bureau (Public Works)
Street Lighting Bureau (Public Works)
Street Services Bureau (Public Works)
Transportation Department (LADOT)
Water and Power, Department of (LADWP)
Youth Development Department
Zoo, Los Angeles

As you can see, Los Angeles has a large number of Bureaus and Departments that were all established for a purpose. Each of the operations require personal and the necessary equipment to carry out the many functions of the Department. This all adds up to Millions and Millions of Dollars for equipment and the maintenance of the equipment. For example, a Trash Truck can cost up to $400,000 per unit. Los Angeles has a fleet of over 750 Trash Trucks. The expense is massive. The city plans on going with electric trash trucks by 2035. How much will those trucks cost? Another huge expense that will be paid by the city residents in their DWP/Sanitation bill. A bill that will be increasing shortly for all city residents and business operations. It is time to look into the future anticipated bills and increased taxes for the residents and owners of property in The City of Los Angeles.

The proposed 2025-2026 Los Angeles City Budget presented by Mayor Bass is just the beginning of the funding process for Los Angeles. The Budget will be reviewed a number of times by members of the City Council until a final Budget is approved and reviewed again until the votes are cast to finally approve the 2025-2026 City Budget. It is expected to be a very long process. What we know is that there are currently over 1,600 proposed job eliminations. The consolidation of various departments and jobs is possible along with many other options that will all be explored. While the City Budget is reviewed the city will continue to operate with may employees concerned about their future city employment. It will be a stressful time for many waiting to find out their future employment with the city. We can all hope for the best to come from those elected to serve all of us at Los Angeles City Hall.

(Dennis P. Zine is a native Angeleno, LAPD Veteran and former L.A. City Councilmember. Dennis can be heard on KABC Radio, Fox 11, Spectrum TV and other media outlets discussing current affairs in Los Angeles.)