Council Members Vow to Resist CRA Staff Cuts

LOS ANGELES —  Intervening to save union jobs, Los Angeles City Council members warned Tuesday that they will fight additional staff cuts at the Community Redevelopment Agency.

While not offering an alternative to patch a CRA deficit, council members put the CRA board on notice that it will probably face a battle if it tries to make deep cuts in the agency work force.

The CRA board is considering staffing cuts as an alternative to CRA Manager John Molloy’s budget proposal to issue $1 million in bonds to pay for administrative costs.

For years, the council and CRA board have approved agency budgets that used debt financing, in the form of bonds, to pay for day-to-day administrative costs. But this year, board members objected that Malloy’s budget depended too much on debt financing when he suggested that $10 million in bonds be issued, including $1 million to pay for day-to-day costs. Malloy proposed reducing the staff from 210 to 200.

CRA board member Keith Richman has said one option that should be considered is cutting staff by an additional 11 positions to balance the budget without resorting to bond financing.

Councilman Nate Holden said the proposed cuts are coming just as the inner city is beginning to get redevelopment projects.

“When we start to get our share, you are saying enough is enough, there is no more left for you guys,” Holden said, addressing CRA board officials. “That’s not acceptable.”