Eric Garcetti announced Monday his $8.1 million budget plan, which includes the Los Angeles Fire and Police Departments, businesses and libraries. Garcetti’s fist budget as mayor hopes to make neighborhoods more comfortable for residents and increase jobs. 

Los Angeles is facing a $242 million deficit and Garcetti is trying to balance this deficit by asking city employees to contribute more to their healthcare plans.

“We’re making a down payment on our future and so, this first year the gains will be modest,” Garcetti told the LA Times.

For businesses, Garcetti said he will lower the business tax. As of now, the tax is 5.07 percent per $1,000 in gross sales. The rate could drop to $4.75 and to $4.25 by 2018. 

“I’m sending a message to the business community, to entrepreneurs, to those business decision-makers that are here right now; we want you in Los Angeles and well fight to keep you here,” Garcetti said. 

Jackeline Sanchez, a student at California State University of Los Angeles says that Garcetti needs to focus on education.

“Garcetti is focusing more on businesses and isn’t really saying much about us students. Our tuition is getting more expensive, our loans getting exponentially higher, at what point is he going to step in and help us?” Sanchez said. 

Younger students will get to benefit from the expanded hours of operation for libraries. With the budget, Garcetti plans to have libraries open as long as they used to be before the recession. This will allow students to say at the libraries longer. 

“I am very excited to have the libraries open later, they close around four or five (now) which gives my kids, which (who) get out of school at three, almost no time to go and look for books and get help with their homework,” said Martha Gomez, a mother of two girls attending Evergreen Elementary School.

The LAFD can expect more jobs and an updated 911 system that can respond to police, fire and medical emergency calls. Jobs in the human resources and communications departments will be given to qualified civilians rather than to fire fighters. 

Another $20 million of the budget is expected to go to repairing the sidewalks of Los Angeles. This is more than half of the money that was set in the budget this year. Jackson Meza, a Los Angeles resident says that this should be the primary focus of Garcetti’s budget. 

“These sidewalks are horrible, it’s dangerous for people that have a hard time walking like the elderly and people with strollers. People always trip and fall and they can get seriously injured,” said Meza.

If approved by Los Angeles City Council, the budget could take effect on July 1. 

 

Reach Veronica Quezada here.