Budget and Finance Committee · Held

Los Angeles City Council Budget and Finance Committee meeting, October 6, 2026

October 6, 2026, 2 p.m. · Updated October 9, 2026

From official records: On Oct. 6, 2026, the Los Angeles City Council's Budget and Finance Committee approved a $20 million transfer to cover a projected deficit in the Fire Department's sworn overtime account, a 2026-27 appropriations limit of $10,026,603,100 and the closeout of the City's American Rescue Plan Act funds as amended. Of the 25 items on the agenda, the committee's Journal records three approved, nine concurrences with other committees' actions, including the bus lane camera program and LADOT's license plate reader policy, and three reports noted and filed. Of the 10 closed-session items, seven were "approved in Open Session" and three were discussed in closed session. Every recorded vote was 4-0, with Katy Yaroslavsky absent.

As of October 9, 2026, outcomes for the October 6, 2026 meeting of the Budget and Finance Committee of the Los Angeles City Council come from official records posted so far, such as council files, recorded votes and filed statements. Some results may be missing until the full minutes are posted and read.

The agenda, posted Oct. 2, 2026, listed 25 items for 2 p.m. in the John Ferraro Council Chamber, Room 340, City Hall. Items 16 to 25 were closed sessions in which the committee could confer with its lawyers on business tax matters and lawsuits. The meeting was also noticed as an incidental special meeting of the Public Works Committee for item 3, because Budget and Finance members make up a majority of that committee. The agenda said only the Budget and Finance Committee would act.

Many of the files come from other committees. The Public Safety Committee approved items 6 and 7 and the City Administrative Officer reports in items 4 and 8 on Sept. 15, 2026, and noted and filed item 12 the same day. This committee continued item 4 on Sept. 1. The Arts, Parks, and City Facilities Committee approved item 9 on Sept. 16 (agenda).

Committee members since Aug. 31, 2026, per the Council President’s assignment letter: Katy Yaroslavsky (chair), Bob Blumenfield (vice chair), Eunisses Hernandez, Heather Hutt and Tim McOsker. The agenda lists the same five members. The committee’s Journal records Yaroslavsky absent and Blumenfield, Hutt, McOsker and Hernandez voting yes on every item with a recorded vote. It records no vote on item 25.

Routine items: the committee concurred 4-0 with the Public Safety Committee’s Sept. 15, 2026 actions on items 4, 8 and 12 (Journal; CF 24-1137-S1, CF 25-0034, CF 26-1159). It noted and filed the trust fund reports in items 10 and 11, 4-0. The fund’s balance was $167,229.14 on both June 30, 2024 and June 30, 2025 (2023-24 report, 2024-25 report). For the closed-session items, the Journal records items 16 to 22 as “APPROVED the Item in Open Session” and items 23 and 24 as “DISCUSSED the matter in Closed Session,” each 4-0. Item 25 was discussed in closed session with no vote listed. The Journal and the council files give no terms (for example, CF 26-1160 and CF 26-1363).

1. The City’s appropriations limit for 2026-27

• What it does: A City Administrative Officer report dated Sept. 15, 2026 covers the City’s appropriations limit for 2026-27 (agenda).
• Who brought it: The City Administrative Officer (CF 26-0600-S114).
• Money: The limit is $10,026,603,100, calculated with a 0.87 percent drop in City population and a 9.55 percent rise in nonresidential new construction. The City Administrative Officer reports no fiscal impact from adopting it (committee report).
• What happened: The committee approved the recommendations 4-0, with Blumenfield, Hutt, McOsker and Hernandez voting yes and Yaroslavsky absent (committee report).
• What’s next: The Council (committee report).

2. Grant closeout and reallocation of the City’s American Rescue Plan Act (federal COVID relief) funds

• What it does: A City Administrative Officer report dated Sept. 15, 2026 covers the grant closeout and reallocation of the City’s American Rescue Plan Act money, the federal State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (CF 23-0211).
• Who brought it: The file began with a 2023 motion by Bob Blumenfield, seconded by John Lee, Traci Park and Nithya Raman, on the status of the City’s relief-funded programs. The Council adopted a Budget and Finance Committee report on it 11-0 on March 24, 2023 (CF 23-0211).
• Money: The agenda marks the item “Fiscal Impact Statement: Yes” and “Financial Policies Statement: Yes” (agenda).
• What happened: The committee approved the report as amended 4-0, with Bob Blumenfield, Heather Hutt, Tim McOsker and Eunisses Hernandez voting yes and Katy Yaroslavsky absent. The City Administrative Officer’s amendment, accepted by Blumenfield and seconded by McOsker, raised the reallocation between ARPA projects to $130,219.42 and the transfer for Community Investment Department administrative costs to $93,138.92. The savings are to be reclassified to eligible projects by Dec. 31, 2026, and the report lists no General Fund impact. The item goes to the Council, subject to the Mayor’s approval (committee report).

3. Effects of the Mayor’s proposed Capital Infrastructure Plan and the Bureau of Engineering’s proposed capital project intake process

• What it does: The motion asks the Chief Legislative Analyst to report on how the Mayor’s proposed Capital Infrastructure Plan and the Bureau of Engineering’s proposed intake process for capital projects would affect the Council’s ability to start, rank and fund capital projects. It asks the City Administrative Officer to report on the effects on the budget process, including the Capital and Technology Improvement Expenditure Program, funding sources, facility maintenance and current and pending projects (CF 26-1170).
• Who brought it: Imelda Padilla, seconded by Traci Park, on Aug. 21, 2026 (CF 26-1170).
• Neighborhood council positions: For: North Hollywood Northeast.
• Earlier action: The Public Works Committee approved the motion on Aug. 26, 2026, and the Arts, Parks, and City Facilities Committee approved it on Sept. 16, 2026 (agenda).
• What happened: The committee concurred 4-0 with both committees’ actions to approve the motion, with Blumenfield, Hutt, McOsker and Hernandez voting yes and Yaroslavsky absent (Journal).

5. Transfer of funds to cover a projected deficit in the Fire Department’s sworn overtime salary account

• What it does: The motion asks for a transfer of funds to cover a projected deficit in the Fire Department’s sworn overtime salary account (agenda). The file title names out-of-City wildfire deployments and fire prevention safety watch (CF 26-1323).
• Who brought it: John Lee, seconded by Katy Yaroslavsky, on Sept. 15, 2026 (CF 26-1323).
• Money: $20 million moved within the Fire Department’s budget into its sworn overtime account: $10 million from sworn salaries and $10 million from constant staffing overtime. The report ties the overspending to wildfire deployments outside the City, member recalls and fire safety watch at special events. It says the 17 deployments in July and August 2026 are reimbursable by state and other agencies, event organizers pay for safety watch, and recalls are used to keep stations open during staffing shortages. Neither the City Administrative Officer nor the Chief Legislative Analyst has done a financial analysis (committee report).
• What happened: The committee approved the motion 4-0, with Blumenfield, Hutt, McOsker and Hernandez voting yes and Yaroslavsky absent (committee report).
• What’s next: The Council, subject to the Mayor’s approval (committee report).

6. New Los Angeles County Fire Department participating agency oversight fee for the hazardous waste program

• What it does: A Board of Fire Commissioners report dated Aug. 6, 2026 proposes a new Los Angeles County Fire Department Participating Agency Oversight Fee for the hazardous waste program (agenda).
• Who brought it: The Board of Fire Commissioners (CF 26-1233).
• Earlier action: The Public Safety Committee approved it on Sept. 15, 2026 (agenda).
• What happened: The committee concurred 4-0 with the Public Safety Committee’s action to approve the Board of Fire Commissioners report dated Aug. 6, 2026, with Yaroslavsky absent (Journal).

7. New Fire Department re-inspection fee for hazardous materials (CUPA) programs

• What it does: A Board of Fire Commissioners report dated Aug. 6, 2026 proposes a new additional re-inspection fee for programs regulated by the Certified Unified Program Agency (agenda).
• Who brought it: The Board of Fire Commissioners (CF 26-1232).
• Earlier action: The Public Safety Committee approved it on Sept. 15, 2026 (agenda).
• What happened: The committee concurred 4-0 with the Public Safety Committee’s action to approve the Board of Fire Commissioners report dated Aug. 6, 2026, with Yaroslavsky absent (Journal).

9. County Measure A park grant work plans for the Lake Balboa Edge and Whitsett soccer fields design projects

• What it does: A Proposition K - L.A. for Kids Steering Committee report dated Aug. 27, 2026 submits work plans under the County’s Measure A Regional Park and Open Space District program for the Lake Balboa Edge and Whitsett Soccer Fields design projects (agenda).
• Who it affects: The council file lists Council Districts 2 and 6 (CF 26-1216).
• Money: About $4,630,000 in Measure A grant funds, if awarded, with no matching funds and no General Fund impact expected (joint committee report).
• What happened: The Arts, Parks, and City Facilities Committee approved it 3-0 on Sept. 16, 2026. This committee concurred 4-0, with Blumenfield, Hutt, McOsker and Hernandez voting yes and Yaroslavsky absent (joint committee report).
• What’s next: The Council, subject to the Mayor’s approval (joint committee report).

13. Fee options for planning appeals filed by someone other than the applicant

• What it does: The agenda lists Department of City Planning and City Administrative Officer reports on options for a Non-Applicant Appeal Fee (agenda). The council file covers the City’s planning and land use fees and their annual inflation adjustment (CF 09-0969-S4).
• Who brought it: The Department of City Planning and the City Administrative Officer (agenda).
• Earlier action: The Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved the item (the council file records the approval on Aug. 25, 2026) and sent it to the Budget and Finance Committee on Sept. 17, 2026 (CF 09-0969-S4).
• What happened: The committee concurred 4-0 with the Planning and Land Use Management Committee’s Aug. 25, 2026 action, with Yaroslavsky absent (Journal).

14. Bus lane camera enforcement program update, new transit-only lane designations and LADOT’s updated license plate reader use policy

• What it does: LADOT reports and a resolution cover an update on the Automated Bus Lane Enforcement (ABLE) program, the designation of transit-only traffic lanes on street segments in the program, and adoption of LADOT’s updated Automated License Plate Recognition Use Policy (agenda).
• Who brought it: The file began with a 2021 motion by Mike Bonin and Paul Krekorian, seconded by Kevin de Leon (CF 21-1224).
• Neighborhood council positions: For: North Westwood, as the agenda lists it.
• Earlier action: The Transportation Committee noted and filed LADOT’s April 7, 2026 report on May 27, 2026, and approved its Aug. 31, 2026 report on Sept. 16, 2026 (agenda).
• What happened: The committee concurred 4-0 with the Transportation Committee’s May 27, 2026 action to note and file LADOT’s April 7 report and its Sept. 16, 2026 action to approve LADOT’s Aug. 31 report and resolution, with Yaroslavsky absent (Journal).

15. The City’s 2026-27 Statement of Investment Policy

• What it does: An Office of Finance report dated June 5, 2026 presents the City’s 2026-27 Statement of Investment Policy (agenda).
• Who brought it: The Office of Finance (CF 26-0845).
• What happened: The committee noted and filed the report 4-0, with Blumenfield, Hutt, McOsker and Hernandez voting yes and Yaroslavsky absent (committee report).

Previous meeting: September 15, 2026 · All meetings