Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is set to deliver the annual State of the City address on Monday, April 15 – ahead of the release of her proposed 2024-25 budget in the coming days.
The mayor’s office hasn’t provided details of Bass’ upcoming speech, but many of the topics she touched on during last year’s State of the City – homelessness, housing, public safety and city staffing levels – could very well resurface.
Monday’s speech will be delivered in the City Council Chamber. The public can watch it on the mayor’s Facebook page, starting at 5:30 p.m.
Following her State of the City address, Bass is expected to release her budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year by April 22, according to her office. That in turn will kick off a series of hearings by the City Council’s budget committee as councilmembers dissect – and make changes to – the mayor’s proposed spending plan.
The City Council will have until June 1 to send a budget back to the mayor for consideration. Both sides will get a chance to make additional changes before a final budget is adopted for the fiscal year that will begin July 1.
During last year’s State of the City, Bass, who was only 127 days into her term as mayor, said: “I cannot declare that the state of our city is where it needs to be. But I am proud to report that together we have brought change to the city of Los Angeles.”
This year, she’ll likely highlight what she considers to be achievements by her administration over the past 12 months — like bringing thousands of unhoused people indoors through her signature homeless program, Inside Safe, and efforts to recruit more police officers — as well as work that still lies ahead for the city.
It remains to be seen what the tone of this year’s speech will be as city officials head into this budget season on a sobering note.
In recent weeks, officials have raised concerns that the city has overspent by about $289 million this fiscal year. Revenues are less than projected, and the city must also budget for employee raises that have been approved or that are anticipated, including for rank-and-file officers and higher-ranking members of the Los Angeles Police Department, bus drivers and other city workers.
In January, the council, having gotten a whiff of the financial woes ahead, directed all city departments to only fill essential positions moving forward. More recently, members of the City Council’s personnel committee have discussed a proposal to eliminate nearly 2,000 vacant positions that are still on the books.
City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo has said that getting rid of vacant positions should not have a significant impact on the city’s current service levels since the positions are already unfilled. But it does mean the city is “not in a position” to expand services, he said.
That acknowledgement followed on the heels of an announcement last month by City Controller Kenneth Mejia that one in six city jobs remains vacant – vacancies which Mejia called “chronic and rampant.”
Related Articles
City of LA removes 50-plus homeless RVs. Now locals face huge parking fees
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announces new partnership to help homeless veterans
Bill would allow LA to lease Caltrans space to store RVs from homeless encampments
Bass announces more Inside Safe operations; 20 people brought inside from San Fernando Valley camp
Judge closer to clarifying an independent audit of L.A.’s homelessness programs
