Q: Jay, what is the Neighborhood Council Budget Advocates? Who are you guys?
A: The city charter mandates that neighborhood councils advise the mayor and the elected officials on citywide budget matters, The NCBA’s are 36 neighborhood council members who are elected by the 190 budget reps, who represent 2 members of each neighborhood and community council around the city. Their charge is to represent their respective councils in the citywide budget process. This group has grown from 24 in the past.
Q: What is it you are trying to accomplish?
A: The goal is to dig into department budgets as well as to speak with union leaders to come up with a comprehensive report to the Mayor on how to balance the budget and enhance city services.
Q: What are the key components of your platform?
A: A balanced budget that includes no layoffs, no fourloughs, no service cuts, efficiency in operations, streamline the city departments for efficiency. Expose and mitigate waste, fraud and abuse. Bringing to the citizens an open, honest and transparent budget process.
Q: Do you really think the city can balance its budget without layoffs or furloughs or pay cuts or service cuts? Where would the offsetting cuts come from (or the increased revenues)?
A: The budget can be balanced but not the way the city continues to operate. There need to be adjustments to salaries, health care payments, revisions of pensions moving forward as well as investment in I.T. to co-ordinate contracting and collections. In addition, there need to be further department consolidations, and public private partnerships.
Q: What are the chances, do you think, that these ideas will be taken seriously?
A: In the past 2 years, the Budget Advocates have been agendized by the City Council to present their findings. The Council mandated that the Chief Administrative Officer and the Chief Legislative Officer review our paper and comment back to Council. In addition, this past month, 22 of the ideas proposed last year are being adopted by the new Inspector General in his report to Council.
Q: For those who want to know more, how can they find you?
A: I can be reached at : jay@empowerla.org or by phone at 310-466-0645. Visit the budget advocate web site at www.budgetadvocatesla.com for complete information and reports. We are also happy to come to local organizations to discuss the budget, the areas’ needs and wants.
