“We are fortunate to have the state legislature and governor that we do,” said Mayor Bass to a reporter, optimistic yet weary of “what awaits them from Washington D.C..”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and City Council recently arrived at the State Capitol to request Gov. Gavin Newsom and State Legislature for nearly $2 billion for budget deficit and additional wildfire relief funding.
“Right, and we are fortunate to have the state legislature and governor that we do,” Mayor Bass said to KCRA 3 reporter Ashley Zavala after the meetings at the Capitol, adding that she is weary of “what awaits from Washington D.C..”
Making her case for over $1.8 billion, it was broken down into five different areas of priority. She is requesting $301 million for “disaster recovery expenses,” $750 million for “upgrades to the electrical power grid” in the Pacific Palisades, then $56.5 million for “fire safety measures,” $72.8 million for additional clean-up and recovery necessities, and finally $75.5 million for “public assistance measures.”
But, upon several meetings with CA lawmakers, the mayor was reminded of the state’s “own challenges” with budgetary strains. Gov. Newsom has struggled to procure $40 billion in wildfire recovery aid from the federal government, and may also face a $6.2 billion budget deficit over Medi-Cal, and CA Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher hopes to have them audited.
This could impede Bass’s optimism, since LA is looking at a nearly $1 billion deficit of its own. The city has also requested an additional $638 million, to counteract the layoffs of hundreds of public servants that appears “nearly inevitable.”
In response to the visit, Kevin Dalton, former contender for LA Board of Supervisors in 2022, quote-tweeted Zavala’s report on X, highlighting the irony he saw in the event, “Karen Bass: ‘Fortunately we have a Democratic supermajority & Gavin Newsom’,” poking fun at the partisan homogeneity that, in his opinion, encapsulates California politics.
Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky leveled, this was not going to be a “one time fix,” but was very important in laying the foundation for strengthening LA.
“Protect services, strengthen wildfire resilience, and secure a sustainable future for Angelenos,” added Council president Marqueece Harris-Dawson, reiterating their goal despite the urgent fiscal challenges the city faces.
Mayor Bass noted that she and the council members felt “very encouraged.” More information on the request may come soon, as the mayor is expected to release her full budget proposal on April 21.
