LA Mayor Karen Bass discusses budget ahead of State of the City address
budget crisis
, Mayor Karen Bass urged Los Angeles to brace for the future as she prepares to deliver a difficult State of the City address Monday.
"It's going to be a very, very difficult budget," she said. "We are very concerned about the impact that's going to have on the workforce. We're working until the last minute. We hope to avoid layoffs. We hope to avoid drastic cuts. But, we are going to have to make some structural changes."
Faced with seemingly no other options, City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo told Bass and other council members that LA's $1 billion budget shortfall made "layoffs nearly inevitable."
However, thousands of layoffs "cannot and will not be the only solution" to the city's dire situation, according to Szabo. The City Council must consider service cuts to balance its budget. In closed session, city leaders also mulled over the possibility of deferring union-negotiated raises to police officers, firefighters, trash truck drivers and librarians.
During Black Lives Matter Los Angeles' annual presentation of the People's Budget in Leimert Park, Bass said the city had chipped away at the $1 billion deficit by Friday night.
"We started about a month ago with a $1 billion deficit," she said. "We were able to bring that down to about $800 million."
A core mission of BLM LA is to defund the Los Angeles Police Department and allocate the agency's budget to other city programs.
"Why are we spending money on police when we need to figure out how to make sure everyone living on Skid Row is housed?" co-founder Melina Abdullah said. "Why are we spending money on police when we need to make sure that everyone eats?"
Two years ago, Bass and the City Council negotiated substantial raises and benefits boosts for the LAPD to help retain and increase staffing at the severely shorthanded department. She maintained her support for police, though it's not clear what budget cuts they may face.
A recent poll from the
LA Times and UC Berkeley
showed that Bass' popularity has taken a huge hit in the aftermath of the fires. However, Bass said she is focused on the recovery, which she said is way ahead of schedule.
"That is the center of what is happening in our city right now," Bass said. "I don't care how fast we are rebuilding. The people who are still out of their homes, it's still too long. But, I have to tell you, we are months, if not a year, ahead."
Another factor looming over the city's budget is President Trump's tariffs.
"What we're all going through in the country is just the uncertainty," Bass said. "There's only so much we can control here. The decisions that are being made on a federal level impact us. Will there be tariffs? Will there be a trade war? All of that impacts us on a day-to-day basis."
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Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Here's who is running so far for Fort Collins mayor, City Council
There's a Fort Collins City Council election this Nov. 4, and it will be the first time voters will use ranked voting to select the next mayor and at least one council seat. More on ranked voting later. So who's running? The list might not be complete yet. The deadline for candidates to submit their nominiation petitions, with the signatures of at least 25 registered voters in Fort Collins, is Aug. 26. The list below, which is organized by candidates in alphabetical order by race, will be updated if new candidates enter the races. The Coloradoan will publish more information about each candidate and where they stand on key issues as part of election coverage leading up to the mailing of ballots in mid-October. For now, here's a small bit of context about each candidate and where to find more information about their campaigns: Fort Collins mayor Tricia Canonico is a current City Council member, representing southeast Fort Collins' District 3 since 2021. Her efforts are focused on livability, affordability and sustainability, so everyone has access to opportunity, stability and community life, according to Adam Eggleston is a victim advocate with experience as a Realtor and on civic boards and commissions. On his website, he says he will advocate for small businesses, expanding housing options through gentle density and improving mobility in the city. Emily Francis is a current City Council member, representing northwest Fort Collins' District 6 since 2019. She is also mayor pro tem. Focus areas for Francis are affordability, housing, climate change, transportation and community health, according to Adam Hirshhorn is a community member who has advocated before City Council on social, environmental and cultural issues. He has opted not to answer Coloradoan questions about his campaign. His candidate filing says he can be found at Shirley Peel is a former City Council member who represented southwest Fort Collins District 4 from 2021 to 2024. She is retired with a background in education. At Peel says she wants Fort Collins to be a place where "families can succeed, workers can thrive, small businesses can grow, and no one is left behind." Scott VanTatenhove, "ScottyV," is a Poudre School District employee who has served on the city's transportation board and helped create the Fort Collins Music Association, or FoCoMA, and its flagship event, FoCoMX. VanTatenhove has not responded to Coloradoan requests for information about his campaign. Find Scott VanTatenhove on Facebook and Instagram ( Austin White is a community member whose top issues are affordable housing and helping the homeless. He said he is formerly homeless and wants to help make it easier for people to get into housing, including turning unused commercial spaces into housing and building connections with those who are homeless to help find solutions. No website has been identified. District 1 Chris Conway is a high school teacher and founding member of Fort Collins YIMBY, which advocates for policies that promote housing. His priorities are affordable, abundant housing; protecting the environment; and making recreation and youth sports more accessible, according to Susan Gutowsky is a current City Council member, representing northeast Fort Collins' District 1 since 2019. On her website, she says she wants to bring harmony back to the community, and she believes council should collaborate better with the community. (Gutowsky previously told the Coloradoan she believed she was not eligible for another term after serving a partial term and a full term. Since then, Gutowsky said she received information from the city attorney's office advising that she is eligible. City Clerk Delynn Coldiron confirmed her eligibility, saying the current city charter doesn't address how partial terms apply to term limits.) Daisy Montgomery is a small business owner and disability advocate who serves on the city's Disability Advisory Board and the Board of Directors for the Autism Society of Colorado. On her website, she says she would focus on addressing the needs of people who are struggling to make ends meet and who are being pushed out of the community. District 3 Josh Fudge is a volunteer, board member for the Poudre River Public Library District and budget director for the Larimer County government. He says he's focused on striving for better affordability, more efficient government and balanced economic growth, along with climate resilience. Steve Yurash is the founder of the Colorado Center Party and has served on the Fort Collins Electric Board and Larimer County Board of Health. City Council should be responsive to citizen concerns about housing developments changing neighborhood character, he states on his website, District 5 Amy Hoeven is a community advocate and serves on Fort Collins' Citizens Review Board. She said in an Instagram post she wants to protect the most vulnerable populations, enable a strong workforce, make housing accessible and build on transportation infrastructure. Her website, is still under construction. Zoelle Lane is a human resources professional at CSU. She says on her website, that she wants to raise the minimum wage, expand efforts to make housing affordable in Fort Collins, protect and advocate for vulnerable communities, and improve the path to unionization for workers in Fort Collins. How ranked-choice voting works This election will be the city's first ranked-choice voting election, which will apply to only the races where there are three or more candidates. So far, that is the mayor's race and District 1. Voters will rank their preferences rather than selecting only one candidate. Any candidate who gets more than 50% of first-choice votes wins the race outright. But if no one gets a majority, it works like this: The last-place candidate gets knocked out, and those who voted for them have their vote redistributed to their second-choice picks. The process continues until one candidate reaches more than 50% of the votes. Other city ballot items In addition to the above races, voters will decide several city ballot issues and city charter changes. Officially on the ballot are: Six council-referred proposed changes to the city charter. Updating the charter is one of this council's major priorities for this term. The amendments voters will see Nov. 4 apply to a variety of charter sections that cover things like: elections procedures, public notifications about ordinances, campaign contributions, open records, executive sessions and council member conflicts of interest, terms, vacancies. A citizen-initiated question asking whether the entire former Hughes Stadium site now owned by the city should become a natural area. These items are likely to be on the ballot. Council will vote on whether to refer them on Aug. 19: A citizen-initiated question asking to permanently renew a quarter-cent sales tax funding natural areas and creating a new plan for how the funds are allocated. A council-referred question asking whether the former Hughes Stadium site now owned by the city should become a multi-use recreation and community space, as recommended by a citizen civic assembly. A council-referred question asking voters to renew a quarter-cent sales tax for specified capital projects in Fort Collins. This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins election 2025: Who is running for mayor, City Council Solve the daily Crossword
Politico
2 hours ago
- Politico
Tish James is all in on Mamdani
With help from Amira McKee Letitia James has embraced Zohran Mamdani while other New York Democratic leaders are proceeding with caution. The state attorney general began boosting him in earnest just before the June 24 primary, most visibly at a Working Families Party rally where she compared him to Barack Obama on a stage packed with progressives and a massive 'Don't Rank Cuomo' sign. James had championed City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams for most of the race, but saw the writing on the wall and stood proudly with Mamdani, now the Democratic nominee for mayor. 'That was the moment when I thought, 'We're actually gonna win,'' Ana María Archila, the co-director of the state WFP, told Playbook. James' enthusiastic support of Mamdani is in stark contrast to Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other Democrats who haven't endorsed the 33-year-old democratic socialist who trounced Andrew Cuomo by 12 points. James, compared to the other Dem leaders, is a staunch opponent of Cuomo. She was a key player in his ouster as governor four years ago amid sexual harassment allegations. As mainstream Democrats navigate how to work with the heavy favorite to be New York City's next mayor, James has been a consistent presence at Mamdani's side. She introduced him the night of his primary win, when she rejected the 'bias of low expectations,' and waved to crowds alongside him at the city's Pride March. 'He kept focused on his message,' she said on primary day. 'He wasn't concerned about the money. It was all about the power of the message, the power of his words.' James, a WFP darling, was elected to the City Council in 2003 solely on the third party line, but now appeals to a broad swath of Democrats. She recently led nearly 100 New York officials in a letter urging unrestricted humanitarian aid to Gaza while condemning the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel. The Brooklyn Democrat became a national name as an adversary to President Donald Trump during his first term and has vowed to keep challenging his policies in court. 'She can straddle so many worlds,' Archila said, adding of James' backing of Mamdani: 'She was the only one … of the largest figures in politics in New York who was not of the left who made that decision.' State Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, the leader of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, endorsed Cuomo in the primary but backed Mamdani immediately after his June 24 win. She said James was elated by the switch. 'She's in a very strategic position,' Bichotte Hermelyn told Playbook, recalling that many had urged James to run for mayor herself. 'She just has earned widespread respect across the state, across the city, and it's because of her ability to listen and connect with diverse communities.' James shared a stage with Mamdani again on Saturday at a euphoric statewide gathering in her native Brooklyn of WFP members to celebrate their successful mayoral candidates in Albany, Syracuse, Binghamton, Buffalo and New York City. 'I stand with all of these mayors, but most importantly, it's going to be an honor and a privilege to stand with my brother, Zohran Mamdani,' she said to whoops from the crowd. — Emily Ngo HAPPY MONDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman. WHERE'S KATHY? In Albany and Niagara County meeting with Texas House Democrats and rallying with western New York community against federal cuts. WHERE'S ERIC? Schedule unavailable as of 10 p.m. Sunday. QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'Please run against me. Please.' — GOP Rep. Mike Lawler in a sarcastic response to Democrat Alessandra Biaggi, a former state senator and congressional candidate, as the two briefly feuded on X. Biaggi hit back that she loves her current life and unlike Lawler doesn't need 'daily hits of external validation to find meaning.' ABOVE THE FOLD COWBOY POLITICS: Hochul today will host a contingent of Texas Democrats who fled the Lone Star State on Sunday — throwing a wrench in the gears of a plan to overhaul the state's House map. Some of the Texas lawmakers who left the state, denying the Legislature a quorum to advance the map, will be spending time in Albany, the governor's office said. 'We won't sit on the sidelines while Republicans try to rig the system to give Donald Trump more unchecked power,' Hochul said. 'Texas Democrats are standing up for the future of our democracy, and I'm proud to stand with them in the fight against disenfranchisement.' Hochul's redistricting maneuvers have made her a player in a red-state-blue-state fight over House maps nationwide. The governor is backing a proposed state constitutional amendment that would allow New York to redraw its House lines mid-decade if another state is also undertaking the redistricting process. 'I wish I could just call a special election and change it,' she said in a Friday night MSNBC interview. 'I'd do it in a heartbeat. But we have a constitutional amendment process that's required first. I'm willing to do that.' Backing the amendment, whose introduction was first reported by POLITICO Pro, is symbolic since governors have no formal role in the (lengthy) amendment process. Yet her embrace of it comes at an opportune time, after she pledged to aggressively respond to Republican map-drawing efforts — even though there's virtually nothing New York can do ahead of the 2026 elections. Republican-led Texas last week moved to change its House lines, drawing five seats that Trump carried last year in an effort to bolster Republicans' chances to win in the new districts. The move stands to solidify GOP power in the narrowly divided House. New York is home to several swing seats — including crucial districts on Long Island and in the Hudson Valley. Hochul was blamed by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi when Republicans made gains in New York's 2022 congressional elections. Since then, the Democratic governor has tried to flex her muscles in those swing districts. Now back at the top of the ticket as she runs for reelection next year, Hochul will face another political test with helping her party in down ballot races. 'I'm going to do what we did back in 2024 when we won five out of seven battleground congressional seats and put all Democrats in those seats,' she said in the MSNBC interview. 'So I'm looking at the next year already as to how we can support our party, our candidates, Hakeem Jeffries, and make sure that he is the speaker before all this insanity continues.' State GOP spokesperson David Laska called Hochul the 'worst governor' in the country and added she's wasting her time with the effort. 'Kathy Hochul's New York leads the nation in outmigration as the most taxed, least business friendly, least free state in America — maybe those issues are more deserving of her attention than congressional lines on the other side of the country,' he said. — Nick Reisman CITY HALL: THE LATEST PREPARING FOR THE WORST: Mamdani was worried enough about being detained by the Trump administration upon returning from his recent family trip to Uganda that he took several precautions before departing. The Democratic nominee for mayor detailed the process at a Working Families Party event Saturday as he and fellow progressives discussed Trump's mass deportation agenda. 'It saddened me that I had to meet with lawyers before I even took that trip, that I had to call the attorney general about the fact that I was going to leave the country. I had to fill out a privacy waiver because I didn't know if I would be detained,' Mamdani said. 'And I'm thankful that that was not the case.' Mamdani was born in Uganda, moved to New York as a child and is a naturalized U.S. citizen. He has faced calls from Republicans, including Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), for him to be stripped of citizenship and deported. Trump has also questioned the candidate's citizenship. And the Justice Department has intensified efforts to denaturalize citizens if they 'illegally procured' citizenship. The privacy waiver authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to disclose Mamdani's personal information to another person, in this case an attorney, a campaign spokesperson said. 'What does it say that I wake up in the morning and I hear from the President of the United States of America that he wants to denaturalize, that he wants to deport people?' Mamdani asked of Trump's broader plan at the weekend WFP gathering. The Queens lawmaker was in Uganda for a massive family celebration of his recent wedding. Asked to respond to Mamdani feeling the need to take precautions when he left the country, a White House spokesperson focused on criticizing the candidate. 'Since Comrade Mamdani is so eager to discuss his lavish Uganda destination wedding, complete with armed guards, we'd love for him to explain why his extremely wealthy family had so much security while he is actively trying to defund the police, make New York less safe, and take security away from Americans,' White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said. Mamdani has backed off his past calls to defund the police, saying now that he wants to maintain the NYPD's headcount and create a Department of Community Safety for mental health and homelessness responses. — Emily Ngo More from the city: — Curtis Sliwa wants to be mayor, and the Republican nominee is taking off his red beret to prove it. (New York Times) — City homeowners might not be getting the free garbage cans the City Council promised as the legislators and mayor literally fight over trash. (New York Post) — The NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau looked into a rape allegation against a former top aide to Adams, according to court documents. (POLITICO) NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY WELCOME TO THE 2ND FLOOR: Hochul campaign spokesperson Jen Goodman is heading to the governor's office. She will serve as Hochul's director of rapid response. The change comes as the governor is gearing up for a challenging year — including a potentially tough state budget on top of her re-election campaign for a second full term. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: A tech executive whose company supports startups building artificial intelligence safety tools is the latest industry player urging Hochul to sign AI guardrail legislation. The RAISE Act, passed in mid-June, would place AI safety standards on 'frontier models,' or the largest and most cutting-edge systems. It was sponsored by state Sen. Andrew Gounardes and Assemblymember Alex Bores, both Democrats. Geoff Ralston, a former president of Y Combinator whose father helped found the University at Buffalo's computer science department, wrote in a letter to Hochul that New York must act in the absence of congressional action to regulate AI. 'I believe deeply in the potential of AI to benefit society and in the urgent need to manage its risks,' said Ralston, who leads the Safe AI Fund. Bradley Tusk and Rainfall Ventures are among the other venture capitalists who want RAISE — or Responsible AI Safety and Education — to become law. Several startups are advocating for it, too. But some trade groups, most notably Tech:NYC — whose members include Meta and Google — oppose the legislation as written, saying too-broad restrictions would hinder innovation. 'We want to be doing all we can to incentivize the development of smart, responsible AI here in New York state, and I am fundamentally concerned that the passage of this bill would push us the other way,' Tech:NYC president Julie Samuels told Gothamist. A Hochul spokesperson said only that the governor would review the bill. — Emily Ngo More from Albany: — Not all state lawmakers made the usual trek to Albany this legislative session. (Buffalo News) — New York officials want to regulate kratom as the federal government eyes a crackdown. (Times Union) — Hochul slammed Sen. Ted Cruz after he mocked her for wearing a headscarf at NYPD Officer Didarul Islam's funeral. (Daily Beast) KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Battleground Republican Reps. Mike Lawler and Nick LaLota will be targeted beginning today by robocalls to voters highlighting Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's recent remarks that Trump accounts could lead to privatization of Social Security. Democrats also plan to hit Republicans in the midterms over votes in Washington impacting Medicaid, Social Security, food benefits and other safety net programs. GOP members say the cuts are meant to reduce waste and fraud. The robocalls, paid for by the Battleground New York alliance of labor unions and progressive groups, will connect voters to the frontline Republicans' legislative offices. 'New York seniors can't be fooled,' the call says, according to a script. 'We know what 'privatize Social Security' means — it means selling us out to Wall Street fat cats, just like the politicians always do.' The call also says Lawler and LaLota had promised not to cut Social Security. Battleground New York was key to the Democrats flipping four House seats last year. Lawler and LaLota defeated high-profile challengers to win second terms then, but are again top targets. 'Long Islanders see through the Democrats' predictable playbook — using fearmongering on race, abortion, and Social Security,' LaLota, who represents eastern Long Island, responded. 'My constituents won't be fooled.' Lawler, a Hudson Valley Republican, will skip a bid for governor and run for reelection with at least seven Democrats seeking to unseat him. 'The claims in this robocall are categorically false, and a blatant attempt to deceive Hudson Valley seniors,' Lawler spokesperson Chris Russell responded, attacking Battleground New York as a radical organization. 'The truth is that Congressman Lawler has never and will never vote to privatize or cut Social Security, and voters will soundly reject these dishonest attacks once again.' — Emily Ngo More from Congress: — 'More like a blue trickle': Dems are hoping for a blue wave that might not happen. (POLITICO) — The Senate is in recess with no deal to speed confirmations as an irate Trump tells Schumer to 'go to hell.' 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Axios
2 hours ago
- Axios
The importance of the mayoral race as Detroiters choose final two
With primary Election Day tomorrow, Detroiters are choosing the two candidates who will battle to a November finish in the pivotal open-seat mayor's race. Why it matters: Nine certified candidates want to succeed Mayor Mike Duggan, who is running for governor. Whoever wins will steer the city's trajectory on key areas including recovering finances, building an equitable city and growing the population. On the ballot: Businessperson Jonathan Barlow, former police chief James Craig, City Council member Fred Durhal III, businessperson Joel Haashiim, former nonprofit CEO and ex-City Council President Saunteel Jenkins, the Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr., attorney Todd Perkins, City Council President Mary Sheffield and DaNetta Simpson. State of play: Sheffield has maintained a commanding lead on fundraising this year. Plus, candidates have debated issues like business and housing. What we're hearing: Three local leaders gave Axios thoughts on what's important about this mayor's race on the eve of Election Day: Anika Goss, CEO of influential think-tank Detroit Future City: Thinking about the dozens of mayoral forums on different topics, Goss says Detroiters from all walks of life are being extremely thoughtful about what they want in leadership. "I think they are clear that they want a middle-class city that is inclusive for everyone, and there are really specific issues they want to make sure are addressed by their next leader." Old tropes of focusing on name recognition over substance no longer apply — safety, job availability and creating post-high-school pathways do. Sheila Cockrel, founder of civic engagement organization Citizen Detroit and a former City Council member: This election is critical because of how federal policies impact the lives of low-income people and "anybody who's not in the 1%," Cockrel says. The way Detroit's next mayor — and City Council — navigates that context will be hugely consequential, she adds. Vincent Tilford, CEO of the Detroit-based Hannan Center for older adults:
