L.A. City Council approves $15-billion budget, clearing the way to hire 510 police officers

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The Los Angeles City Council signed off on a $15-billion budget for 2026-27 on Thursday, preserving Mayor Karen Bass’ police hiring plan while socking away more money for potential emergencies.The council voted 12 to 1 to approve Bass’s spending plan, which called for the hiring of 510 Los Angeles Police Department officers to offset resignations and retirements.By June 2027, the department is expected to have 8,555 officers, down from about 10,000 in 2020.Councilmember Traci Park cast the lone opposing vote, saying the budget shortchanges the fire department and cuts the number of homeless encampment cleanups in her district, which stretches from Los Angeles International Airport north to Pacific Palisades.“This budget asks Angelenos to accept slower emergency response, dirtier beaches and more failed homelessness spending — all while City Hall continues to under-invest in the basic services people count on to keep them safe,” said Park, whose district includes Pacific Palisades, where thousands of homes were destroyed in the 2025 Palisades fire.The mayor and the council plan to take a second look at firefighter staffing after the Nov.

3 election, when voters take up a sales tax increase to pay for fire department operations.Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez defended the spending plan, saying it provides much needed funds for sidewalk repairs, tree trimming, unarmed crisis response teams and the “safe parking” program, which sets aside spaces and services for homeless people living in their vehicles.“We are investing in solarizing street lights so entire neighborhoods are not left in the dark,” she said.Thursday’s flurry of budget votes offered a sharp contrast to last year’s deliberations, when council members scrambled to eliminate a $1-billion shortfall while minimizing cuts to the city workforce.This time around, council members put more money into the c...