LA County Unveils $38.5 Billion Spending Plan

Los Angeles County’s $38.5 billion recommended budget will be presented to the Board of Supervisors on April 19 by Chief Executive Officer Fesia Davenport. The recommended budget marks an important step forward in the County’s efforts to move safely through the COVID-19 pandemic and into a broad-based, equity-focused economic recovery.

The spending blueprint, the first step in the annual budget process, builds on lessons learned during the past two years and makes full use of federal and state funds to jumpstart the County’s recovery. The budget strikes a balance between ensuring a social safety net and funding critical services such as health care, while also continuing to build the foundation for a “Better than Before” recovery that lifts all communities.

In addition to ramping up to establish new departments focused on justice, care and opportunities; aging and disabilities; youth; and workers and economic development, key recommendations for funding include:

Prioritizing the County’s fight against homelessness through the mobilization of mental health resources and provision of more housing alternatives to move people off the street. This will be facilitated by $493.3 million in Measure H dollars plus Mental Health Services Act funding.
Fortifying the County’s system of hospitals and health centers by budgeting 116 new public health positions, 196 new critical care unit nurses, and 41 new positions in support of mobile “street medicine” clinics, among other significant commitments.
Protecting and empowering youth through a series of investments, including $22.8 million to meet increased demand for full-time childcare for CalWORKs families, $15.7 million for the Youth@Work jobs program and $14.1 million for Department of Children and Family Services medical hub services.
Doubling Care First and Community Investment (CFCI) funding by adding a second-year installment of $100 million for direct community investments and alternatives to incarceration—on the way to reaching the full set-aside of 10% of locally generated unrestricted revenue for Care First, Jails Last programs, originally spelled out in Measure J, by 2024.
Continuing the commitment to closing Men’s Central Jail while also protecting the rights of those who remain in custody, with a recommended $15.3 million allocation to support compliance with the federal consent decree governing conditions in the jail.
Setting aside $12.3 million to expand sheriff’s academy classes and train a new generation of sheriff’s deputies—part of a balanced approach to public safety that also includes preparations to launch a new 988 Alternative Crisis Response system that relies on mental health professionals rather than law enforcement.

Links to Key Resources: