April 13--Los Angeles County officials released a $26.9-billion budget proposal Monday to operate the nation's largest local government for the coming fiscal year.
The spending plan contains money for more social workers, nurses, and for improvements to the mental health system in county jails and diversion programs for the mentally ill.
But there are still many unknown factors that could play into the final budget, including a proposed hike in the minimum wage paid to county workers and contractors.
The county's interim Chief Executive Officer Sachi Hamai said the county has fully emerged from the recession.
"This budget is not about recovery any longer, but it is more about reform in the county," she said.
The budget allocates $75 million to continuing reforms intended to reduce abuses in the county jails. The current year's budget included $36.5 million to implement recommendations by a commission that studied violence in the county's overcrowded jails, including staffing the inspector general's office and placing more supervisors and cameras in the facilities to monitor the conduct of inmates and jailers.
Hamai said about $22 million of that money has been spent so far, and the remainder should be spent by the end of June, when the fiscal year comes to a close.
The current year's recommended budget includes $45.3 million to be set aside to implement further reforms in the jail mental health system. Those are likely to be required as a result of negotiations with the U.S. Department of Justice.
Sheriff Jim McDonnell praised the proposals in a statement, saying that the money would allow his department "to ensure the compassionate treatment of inmates in the nation's largest jail system, while also continuing to develop smarter justice system approaches to those in our community suffering from mental illness."
And the budget would allocate $66.9 million to adding 542 new positions, including 276 children's social workers in the Department of Children and Family Services, in a bid to bring caseloads down. Over the past two years, 436 new staff have been approved for the department, including 206 children's social workers, of which 183 have been hired.
The county supervisors recently commissioned a study of the economic effects of raising the minimum wage paid to county workers and contractors -- as well as all people working at businesses in county unincorporated areas.
Hamai declined to comment on how much money the proposed budget includes for potential salary increases, citing ongoing negotiations with county employee unions.
The county could face other large expenses not included in the budget proposal if the supervisors decide to embark on large-scale infrastructure projects, including a proposed overhaul of the aging animal shelter system and a potential rebuilding of the deteriorating central juvenile hall.
Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, who praised the spending proposal, noted that it is the first budget that will be developed following a major shift in county leadership late last year. Two of the county's five supervisors joined the board in December, as did McDonnell and county Assessor Jeff Prang.
Former Chief Executive Officer William T Fujioka retired in November. The search for a permanent replacement has been stalled while the supervisors contemplate changing the structure of the county's top management.
