By Cynthia de Castro/Asianjournal.com
LOS ANGELES – Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced Tuesday that his proposed FY2008-2009 budget will include the layoff of 767 City employees to balance the city budget.
“The budget I will present to the City Council next week will include some deep cuts and difficult choices, but it will preserve our core priorities,” Mayor Villaraigosa said.
In the face of a $406 million projected budget shortfall for next year, the mayor said he is doing the necessary measures but reiterated his pledge to protect public safety.
“The budget will preserve our historic buildup of the Los Angeles Police Department, protect other critical public safety functions and infuse our neighborhoods most at risk of gang violence with targeted services our kids need to stay off the streets and of gangs,” said Villaraigosa.
Based on a comprehensive review of City services, the 767 positions to be eliminated will come from nearly every City department.
The Mayor’s FY2008-2009 budget – to be released on April 21 – will contain a list of additional cost-saving measures, including potential mandatory furloughs and shortened work weeks. Included in the plan will be $1.50 in spending cuts for every dollar in new revenue.