Politics & Government

Check Up On City Spending; New Open Budget Website Unveiled

The website "gives residents a better way to see how their tax dollars are being collected and spent..."

With his  proposed budget due out next month, Mayor Eric Garcetti unveiled a website Wednesday that provides information about the city's spending history.

Garcetti said the online site "gives residents a better way to see how their tax dollars are being collected and spent, making L.A. city government more transparent and accountable."

The website, at lamayor.org/openbudget, contains graphs and charts for budgets from 2009 until the current year, as well as details on revenue and spending in each city department.

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The website cost $25,400 to produce, according to Garcetti spokesman Jeff Millman.

City officials are projecting a $242 million budget deficit for the 2014- 15 fiscal year.

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City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana released a report Monday that recommended the city work to eliminate its structural deficit by 2018, grow its reserves, reduce the city's vulnerability to lawsuits, hire civilians to take over some work now being performed by sworn police and firefighter, and use technology to cut costs.

Santana also recommended that city leaders back efforts to negotiate with city employee unions for agreements that would result in no raises for at least three years; change salary levels, including lowering entry-level pay; and employees paying 10 percent of their health care premiums.

—City News Service


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