Los Angeles must eliminate 767 city jobs by June 30 to reduce a projected multimillion-dollar budget deficit, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Friday.
Unless something is done, the city is expected to spend $406 million more than it takes in during fiscal year 2008-09, which starts July 1, due to a downturn in sales tax receipts, taxes from the sale of residential and commercial properties, and state reimbursements.
When the mayor presents his budget on April 21, city officials will have identified 767 positions that can be eliminated, which will eventually start the city’s complicated system of laying off employees.
It is not clear how many employees will actually be fired. Los Angeles employees have not experienced layoffs since 1983 when about a dozen workers were let go.
“The budget that I will present to the City Council next week will include some deep and painful cuts. There will be difficult choices to make but we will preserve our core city services,” Villaraigosa said at a Friday afternoon news conference.
Police officers and firefighters will not be laid off, but civilian employees in both departments could be on the chopping block, the mayor said. Employees may also be subject to mandatory unpaid vacations and shortened workweeks.
Filed under: Business | Tagged: Business, California, jobless, layoffs, Los Angeles, Politics, poverty, unemployment, Villaraigosa
