Results of Citywide Budget Survey Reported at Council

Los Angeles residents were asked to make their own attempt at balancing the city’s budget through a Web-based survey’The Los Angeles Budget Challenge’launched on January 27.   The site, which also allowed participants to offer specific suggestions for tackling the city’s projected $350 million deficit, got about 22,900 hits. More than 9,500 users completed surveys (though only about 24 percent of those actually ‘balanced the budget’).   In the zip codes covering Pacific Palisades, 304 residents visited the site and 225 completed surveys, according to a report prepared by Pacific Palisades Community Council member Jennifer Malaret. She and other neighborhood council representatives met on March 12 to review the results of the citywide survey.   Though organized labor was believed to be a driving force behind the total number of responses, West Los Angeles and West Valley residents’ responses generally matched overall opinions on where to make cuts and how to shift funding.   In answer to specific spending questions, a majority of respondents agreed that the city should maintain funding for public libraries and the Department of Recreation and Parks and did not want to see cuts to police or fire departments. That same majority was willing to undertake cuts to transportation services and capital projects and expected city employees to agree to a pay cut and the redesign of retirement benefits for new employees.   On the revenue side, a majority was willing to see increases in licenses, permits, fees and fines, but did not want city officials to dip into the reserve fund to bridge the budget deficit.   Neighborhood council budget advocates prepared a set of recommendations for Mayor Villaraigosa which they believe could restore core services to full funding.   Their key cost savings would come from employee concessions, including salary cuts and higher employee contributions to healthcare costs and pension benefits. Suggested revenue generators included implementing the City Attorney’s Administrative Code (ACE) Enforcement program, which would significantly increase fees for non-compliance with building codes; hiring professional operators to run the city’s parking lots; and exploring branding opportunities for the city.