More budget details
Faced with a declining economy afflicting most revenue sources for the city, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Monday proposed increases in a number of fees to balance a $7.01 billion budget for this coming year, an increase of 2.3 percent in spending.
Villaraigosa said a large part of the city's problem in meeting a projected $406 million shortfall is due to the ongoing structural deficit _ where the city spends more than it takes in _ as he has begun a multi-year effort to balance that spending.
To balance this year's budget, the mayor is proposing increases in a variety of fees, from the trash fee, increases in parking and traffic tickets, hikes in the police impound fee, development and construction fees, golf fees, recreation and parks, fire department and animal services. All told, the increases amount to $90.6 million dollars.
The mayor said he is also proposing cuts that will total $140 million, through expense, equipment and contract services, salary reductions and short-term layoffs, which might include mandatory furloughs or shortened work weeks.