The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to approve more than $350 million in new spending and reserves to balance the county’s 2014- 15 budget.
“We’ve done better than any other municipality or another other county,” Chief Executive Officer Fujioka told the board. “We have a cash balance. We are fully funded.”
In June, the board adopted a $26.4 billion budget for 2014-15. Since then, projected property tax revenues are up $66.4 million, sales tax revenues are $14.8 million higher and the county has found itself with extra cash on hand.
After five years of belt-tightening, the board is in the enviable position of being able to restore previously cut programs, hire more employees and start addressing long-deferred maintenance and capital projects.
Fujioka recommended adding nearly $25 million to a “rainy day” fund and putting aside $34 million for contingencies.
The board approved more than 200 other changes, including:
— a $20 million set-aside for a diversion program to fund treatment rather than jail for mentally ill offenders;
— $12.4 million to restore earlier levels of sheriff’s patrols in unincorporated areas of the county;
— $28.5 million for renovations of the Ford Theatre;
— $35.5 million in deferred maintenance; and
— $41.8 million for capital projects.
Fujioka called the total for infrastructure “only a drop in the bucket,” adding, “Our infrastructure is old, it’s tired and it needs significant deferred maintenance.”
There is still more to be done, including funding for recommendations made by the Blue Ribbon Commission on Child Protection. The board is still working to hire a child protection czar.
The CEO, set to retire this year, would also like to see Los Angeles County build a 10 percent reserve fund over time. He noted that most of the allocations approved today were one-time expenditures, rather than projects that require ongoing annual funding.
— City News Service