Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa calls for budget cuts. (Neon Tommy/Judy Wang)

"It remains critical that the city streamline the way we do business," Villaraigosa said in a letter to the council released late on Monday.

The mayor suggested other far-reaching proposals, such as separating the civil and criminal divisions of the City Attorney's Office to allow the city to hire outside attorneys to advise them on cases. This ballot measure would strip the city attorney's office of any responsibility for civil cases.

Villaraigosa's letter to council members said overspending and "unanticipated expenditures" had left L.A. with a deficit just four months into a new fiscal year.

"The fiscal reality calls on us to do business differently and move forward with initiatives we never would have considered under different circumstances," he wrote.

The mayor's letter was released just ahead of a long-awaited budget report from City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana, L.A.'s top budget official. The report is expected to detail the city's most recent financial woes accompanied by his recommendation for employee layoffs.

Villaraigosa mentions in his letter a list of potential cuts Santana has explored in the report, including a reduction in the starting salaries of civilian city workers, elimination of nonfederal city holidays and paring back raises that are set to go into effect in the next two years.

For more Neon Tommy coverage of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, go here.

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