Board of Supervisors - Regular Meeting

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Good morning, everyone. Good morning. We would like to welcome everyone to this very special meeting today for the fiscal year 2026-27 budget deliberations. Today is Monday, June 22nd, 2026. We will take note that a quorum of the board is present. Chief Executive Officer, County Council, and Executive Officer, and the Sergeant at Arms are all here to assist. At this time, please join me in hearing the county's land acknowledgments. Thank you. The County of Los Angeles recognizes that we occupy land originally and still inhabited and cared for by the Tongva, Tataviam, Serrano, Quiche and Chumash peoples. We honor and pay respect to their elders and descendants, past, present and emerging, as they continue their stewardship of these lands and waters. We acknowledge that settler colonization resulted in land seizure, disease, subjugation, slavery, relocation, broken promises, genocide, and multi-generational trauma. This acknowledgement demonstrates our responsibility and commitment to truth, healing, and reconciliation, and to elevating the stories, culture, and community of the original inhabitants of Los Angeles County. We are grateful to have the opportunity to live and work on these ancestral lands. We are dedicated to growing and sustaining relationships with native peoples and local tribal governments, including in no particular order. Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians, Gabrielino Tongva Indians of California Tribal Council, Gabrieleno Tongva San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, Gabrieleno Band of Mission Indians Quiche Nation, Yahaviatam San Manuel Nation, San Fernando Band of Mission Indians, Coastal Band of Chumash Nation, Gabrielino Tongva Nation, Gabrielino Tongva Tribe. To learn more about the First Peoples of Los Angeles County, please visit the Los Angeles City County Native American Indian Commission website at lanais.lacounty.gov. Okay, executive officer, will you please play the code of conduct for today?

Ladies and gentlemen, may I please have your attention. The meeting of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is about to commence. A code of conduct will now be read, and we request that you comply with it to ensure the efficient administration of the meeting. Members of the public, it is your right to participate in today's Board hearing, and the Board encourages such participation. However, the right of the public to address the Board must be balanced with the need to ensure that public comment does not interfere with the orderly course of the Board's business. All are reminded to abide by the following rules. Speakers must cease speaking immediately when their time has ended. Public comment on agenda items must relate to the subject matter of that item. General public comment is limited to subjects within the jurisdiction of the Board. Public comment does not include the right to engage in a dialogue with Board members or staff. Please remain respectful of the forum and refrain from uttering, writing, or displaying profane, personal, threatening, derogatory, demeaning, or other abusive statements toward the Board, any member thereof, staff, or any other person. Members of the audience should be respectful of the views expressed by speakers, staff, and board members, and may not clap, cheer, whistle, or otherwise disrupt the orderly conduct of the meeting. Any person engaging in conduct that disrupts the meeting is subject to being removed from the board meeting. And finally, if you witness conduct or behavior by other members of the public that disrupts your ability to remain engaged or participate in this meeting, please notify the sergeant at arms or other county staff. Thank you for your cooperation.

With that, today's meeting order will be the following. We'll start with the Chief Executive Officer's presentation, followed by remarks by members of this board, public comment on all budget items one through five, then the Chief Executive Officer will present each budget item in numerical order. Okay, that's the order of the business, and we will now hear from our Chief Executive Officer, Joseph M. Nikita.

Good morning, Supervisors. Thank you. I'm here this morning to present our recommendations for final changes to the county's 2026-27 recommended budget. A quick recap, I made a presentation at last week's board meeting highlighting the challenges the county faces in the current fiscal year and explaining how that influences our decision-making for final changes. I'm not going to belabor those points this morning, but for the benefit of members of the public that were not here or watching last week, I will repeat, that we are contending with federal funding cuts and rule changes to food and healthcare benefits under HR1, a state budget deficit, increasing cost of services, and large-scale liabilities, all of which are putting intense pressure on our budget and forcing us to operate in a climate of uncertainty with several factors that are out of our control. Our goal under these conditions is to prioritize critical safety in its services over less immediate needs and preserve rather than grow programs at this time. I'll also remind the public that this is the second phase of our three-phase annual budget process. If the board approves these changes to the recommended budget adopted in April, this will become the 12-month spending plan for departments beginning July 1. Then in September, we will return to the board with recommendations for another set of changes to ensure our 26-27 budget fully reflects the state budget which may not be finalized until the end of the month, county dollars available for reallocation at year-end closing, and any other changes in revenue and conditions. With that, I will walk through the recommendations. I'll take the next slide. These are the budget basics. This slide provides an overview of the key budget metrics, total dollars, and total budgeted positions. The budget total for final changes is $50.3 billion. This is a $1.5 billion increase from the 26-27 recommended budget. That increase is primarily due to budgeting $1.3 billion in federal, state, and special fund revenue, nearly $900 million of which is Behavioral Health Services Act dollars that come from the state. These funds are replacing Mental Health Service Act dollars that were removed from the budget in an earlier phase. I'll get to the other changes in just a minute, but the thing I want to make clear for the moment is that the projections of locally generated revenue in the recommended budget remain unchanged. That means that there is no new local money in the final changes budget phase. In terms of budgeted positions, there is a slight net decrease of 202 positions since April. These are due to changes in departmental operational needs. They do not reflect cuts to the budget. I'll take the next slide. Okay, let's talk for a minute about the sources of funding for final changes. First, there is new federal, state, and special district funding, as I mentioned. That includes the nearly $900 million in Behavioral Health Services Act funding that I just mentioned, $167.6 million in other state and federal funding, $79.9 million in fire district specific funding, including grants and district property and special taxes, There is also approximately $15 million in local funding to be allocated. Just to be clear, this is not new money, but in our most recent retirement budget update, we were able to identify money that could be reallocated for other priorities. And this is one of our efforts supervisors to go through our budget and make sure that we're using every dollar to its maximum impact. I do wanna be clear that reallocating this $15 million, in excess funding does not have any impact at all on the type of retirement benefits to be paid out. There is no change to the benefits we've promised to our workforce. I'll take the next slide. Okay, let's talk a little bit about our recommendations for budgeting that $15 million in ongoing retirement funding. They will include $7 million to operate and maintain Esperanza Hills, Charles White, Irvin Magic Johnson, and Wishing Tree Parks to better support the social and public health role parks play in our communities. $5 million set aside for the establishment of the new Ethics Commission and Office of Ethics Compliance as recommended by the Governance Reform Task Force. Measure G requires LA County to establish the Ethics Commission by the end of this calendar year. So the final recommendations to establish the commission will be taken up in the supplemental budget phase. We have quite a bit of work to do between now and then to stand up that commission. $1.7 million set aside for the sheriff department computer aided dispatch system. These are licenses, mostly licenses and maintenance costs. This will replace the sheriff's current outdated CAD system. This is not for additional staffing. I'll just note again, this is for the system itself. We're recommending $300,000 for a medical examiner compliance officer to maintain the department's name accreditation. As you know, this board has made significant investments over the past several fiscal years to assist the department to regain its accreditation, which was lost years ago after the department fell below names operational standards. We're recommending $200,000 for military and veterans affairs to support targeted suicide prevention and outreach, another important board priority. This is for a new staff position in an area where even a modest investment can have a very meaningful impact. And as I previewed for the board last week, beyond the $15 million, there is no ongoing county funding available for other new investments during this budget phase. I'll take the next slide. Okay, so let's talk about some of the one-time county and bridge funding recommendations in this budget phase. We're recommending funding for two workforce programs, $9.1 million to fund work experience and career development opportunities for 3,308 young people, allowing the department to maintain the current level of 7,000 youth at work participants. This one-time funding joins some ongoing funding already in DEO's budget for the program. We're recommending $1.1 million to fund workforce development and career pathway services for 134 county residents, allowing the department to maintain the current level of 200 program participants in the Preparing for Los Angeles County Employment Program, also known as PLACE, which connects county residents with opportunities to work for the county. We're also recommending additional funding for the Measure G Governance Reform Task Force. This recommended $3.3 million is to pay for existing staff as well as new consultant and operational costs and member stipends. The $3.3 million is considered an implementation cost under Measure G, and the one-time resources come from operational savings in the current year. There is an additional approximately $900,000 already in PFU to support the GRTF, which will also be made available to the task force next fiscal year to support their work. In total, they will have access to $4.2 million to fund their activities. On the bottom half of this slide, we detail recommendations for bridge funding. As you know, board policy and sound fiscal practices dictate that we use one time funds for one time purposes. However, given the county's current fiscal restraints and critical needs in some areas, we're using one time money as a one time bridge or lifeline for a limited set of programs. as we assess our available one-time funding in supplemental budget. These recommendations for bridge funding include $7.7 million for three legal aid programs, Represent LA, the Holistic Defense Program, and the Self-Help Legal Access Centers. We're also recommending $1.4 million in bridge funding for staffing to continue the development and establishment of a commercial cannabis program. I'll take the next slide. OK, this slide details the federal, state, and other funding changes that we are recommending in final changes. It's a fairly long list, so I won't walk through each item, but I do want to make a couple highlights. First, $167.6 million for a variety of important mental health programs, including 376 acute, subacute, and enriched residential services treatment beds, emergency psychiatric assessment, treatment, and healing units at MLK Junior Community Hospital and Henry Mayo Memorial Hospital. These are called MPAP units. And intensive community-based outpatient care as an alternative to hospitalization for patients stepping down from an acute or crisis setting. This outpatient care is important for reducing our costs of care by better meeting patients' long-term needs. There was also $101.6 million in one-time funding for homeless services and housing to provide a range of services to help those experiencing homelessness. This funding comes from a variety of sources, including CalAIM, a state grant, and transfers from county departments. The other recommendations outlined here will help support the modernization of our tax system, the November midterm election, Stay Housed LA, youth development networks that provide community-based prevention and enrichment programming and early intervention care coordination, and the Business Interruption Fund to provide financial assistance to small businesses experiencing significant unforeseen economic disruptions. Some of these examples highlight our ability to find new sources of funding from outside the county to support emergency or critical needs, When we talk about revenue generation as a one-time solution to our budget needs, outside revenue is a part of that puzzle. And we encourage departments to explore outside sources, whether that comes in the form of new federal and state grants or philanthropic dollars as well. I'll take the next slide. Just a brief discussion about preserving community investments. I do want to take some time to highlight ongoing investments that are already part of our recommended budget. Remember, our budget, we tend to budget incrementally. So what you see in final changes doesn't reflect the whole of the county's investments. And that may not be obvious to the public. There are billions of dollars in investments not called out during these budget presentations. These include a wide range of county services from public health to community services. But I want to focus today on alternatives to incarceration and direct community investment as well as jail closures since this has been the topic of some discussion of late. The centerpiece of this work is our investment in CFCI, which totals $314.3 million for 2627. The jail closure implementation team manages $42 million funded through CFCI to expand diversion and community-based treatment options. And $2.1 million is allocated to public health to expand substance use navigation services at felony arraignment. However, the county's investments in alternatives to incarceration go far beyond CFCI funding. What you don't see on the slide, because we wanted to be sure to get the analysis right, and we didn't have time to complete the analysis before this went live, is that there is nearly $600 million in this budget to support jail closure implementation team's work toward the closure of Men's Central Jail and the DOJ compliance team's work to improve jail conditions and provide better access to medical and mental health care in custody settings. The vast majority of this nearly $600 million is funded with net county cost and AB 109 realignment dollars, money the county receives for taking over custody services that were once the role of the state prison system. We are directly paying for a host of programs helping to divert individuals from jail to mental health and substance use treatment and provide outpatient support in the community rather than in a cell. Better jail conditions for those who must remain in custody is also a priority, so some of that nearly $600 million is used to recruit more clinicians and nurses to work in the jails, to pay for medically assisted drug treatment while in custody, and for body-worn cameras and CCTV to prevent jail suicides. The final changes budget supports $554.8 million in total funding for correctional health services. This is the division of our health services department that provides medical and mental health treatment in our jails. And to give you a better sense of the scope of community-based resources, this budget also preserves funding for 6,164 interim housing beds, 32,517 permanent supportive housing slots, and 5,300 budgeted office of diversion and reentry beds. Now, these are significant investments. The Office of DOJ Compliance estimates that the county has invested more than $3.35 billion over the last four years on programs and services to support these efforts to move forward toward closure of Men's Central Jail and provide the appropriate level of care for those individuals who must stay in custody to preserve public safety. There is, of course, more work to do. I want to acknowledge that. I want to be sure the public is aware of the scale of resources already devoted to these efforts and the senior leadership focus on these priorities. I'll take the next slide. Just a brief mention of some deferred requests that remain very much on our radar as we look for opportunities to source new funds and reallocate existing dollars. These include a request for an additional $3 million for the Business Interruption Fund I mentioned earlier, an additional $4.2 million for the Represent LA program, an additional $1.5 million for self-help legal access centers, and $9.8 million for the Elder Nutrition Program, which I know is a priority for your board. These requests, as well as the need to find funding for public health programs to protect public safety, Vision Zero, and encampment cleanup activities, all remain in consideration for funding in the next budget phase. And for the benefit of the public, I also want to say that funding today versus deferral to a future budget phase doesn't necessarily reflect a preference for one program or another. And the timing of implementation or the point at which an existing program may run out of funding can also play a meaningful role in decision making. I'll take the next slide. Supervisors, in terms of next steps, I mentioned at the outset this is the second phase in a three-phase process. We will be returning to the board on September 29th with recommendations for the supplemental budget. And between now and then, the CEO will actively be advocating and monitoring the state budget negotiations, which will conclude by the end of this month, as I mentioned. The auditor-controller will close the books at the end of the year, which is June 30th, and provide a report on the closing fund balance in September. The supplemental budget will reflect the impacts of the state budget, budget adjustments based on year-end fund balance, and any new information available as the federal government provides additional details on the implementation of regulatory changes. We're also working to bring back budget recommendations for Measure ER over the next few months, and Measure ER will be programmed in supplemental budget. I'll take the next slide. And that will conclude my presentation. Supervisors, I'm happy to take any questions at this time.

Thank you very much, Joe, for that presentation. And I'm very delighted that you were able to expand upon the correctional health budget in our jails. So I think it's very timely to be able to explain that, but I know there'll be more discussion on that as we move forward. But before I begin, colleagues, I'm feeling a bit somber right now because of what is taking place in Los Angeles, in East LA, and in Boyle Heights. And before I start with my remarks on the budget, I just want to really thank our LA County firefighters, our first responders, and all the folks that have been working 24-7 for the last six, seven days, almost seven days now, six days, tackling the horrendous fire that took place in Boyle Heights, known as the Lineage Logistics Building, located at Los Palos Street, which is in the city of Los Angeles, but across the street is over 250 households that are immediately impacted in East LA, the unincorporated area, and then that goes beyond. I want to also thank again the County Fire Department, especially Assistant Chief O'Brien and all of his staff. I was there to... walk through with them and actually tour the site outside, obviously, along with the city fire department in Los Angeles and saw what was unfolding before our eyes. And little did we all know that it was gonna continue and it continues on today. But I wanna tell you how proud I am in spite of all that, of our county departments. And I wanna especially, again, thank the County Fire Department, and also our Public Health Department, our Mental Health Department, Department of Health Services, our Public Social Services, and Parks and Recreation. Our Internal Services that was there to assist when we had to pull together quickly a presser at City Terrace Park, And I wanna give a shout out to our Office of Emergency Management, Kevin McGowan, who I know we were going back and forth about how quickly we could open up a facility or park space. And I wanna thank him for his courage in facing my staff and my concerns. Because these issues are not easy. And it's always about a balance and coordination. And I especially want to thank the great folks that represent the Red Cross. Because they are residents. They are volunteers. And they immediately, once we contacted them, said absolutely, we're gonna help you stand up, City Terrace Park. And that was on Friday night. So they were preparing I think after 6 p.m. before 11 to get that set up by 11 p.m. And they were ready to go. And they have since been operating along with our staffs 24-7. But I want to say that that kind of started out last week, as you know, on Wednesday. But what continues right now, and I think most of you even in this building felt it, if you sensed the smell of a strong fire odor. And that's because there are various chemicals that are burnt and that are still in our atmosphere. And that's... I think going to linger for some time. But that doesn't mean that we're not going to stop, that we're going to continue to provide assistance, that we're going to continue to provide PPE, but also air filters where necessary, where we can. And I want to also let the public know that my staff was on site on Wednesday when it started. So I want to clear the record for people who think that the county of Los Angeles and our offices were not there. We were, and we were standing next to our fire responders who gave us minute by minute disclosures as to how this was going to be handled, what we needed to do, and to remain safe. And that, to me, is first and foremost. So we went actually door to door and started distributing masks and public information in English and Spanish to the residents most impacted in the neighboring area. But I want to tell you, we worked very quickly with county council. And I want to thank you and our CEO and OEM because we were able to get an emergency declaration out on Saturday, even though the public may not be aware that this was also done in coordination with the mayor and the city of Los Angeles. And I would like to clarify that this was signed on June 20th as chair of the board. And we took very careful note as to how to prepare this. So this went up to the governor's office as soon as we got it prepared. I have to say that because I think people, given what you're reading, DO NOT MENTION L.A. COUNTY ISSUING OUR HOUR ALONG WITH THE CITY'S EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION. AND TOMORROW WE'LL TECHNICALLY VOTE ON IT AT OUR BOARD MEETING. SO IT IS OFFICIAL BUT I'M SAYING THAT TO GO AHEAD AND BE ABLE TO RECEIVE FUNDS AND ALL THE MECHANISMS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THAT'S ABOUT. IT'S BRINGING IN RESOURCES THAT WE DESPERATELY NEED. SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY ALL OF THAT SO THAT PEOPLE COULD UNDERSTAND. AND I HOPE LATER TODAY TO OPEN UP ANOTHER site just to pick up supplies needed, air filters, masks, food, and more information that will be offered in the surrounding, what they call Union Pacific area, around the block from where the fire took place. So it's a little bit more accessible for people who need help. And I want to thank my colleagues and I want to thank the county family and those residents that are so resilient out there right now. Some don't know who to call and there's a lot of confusion. And I hope that we can clarify that as we move through this process. So again, I wanna thank everyone and I wanna thank our CEO and all those that helped to get us ready for this yet again, another disaster. So with that, let me start with the budget. I know that this takes a lot of work. And I wanted to say to you, Joe, a special thank you and to your CEO team and to our department heads who are here as well, their teams that have worked and put their strong efforts into making this budget doable. The process, as we know, takes months and it's difficult, difficult to have these decisions and discussions made. And a lot of intense preparation and hours that go into this to make sure that we are taking care of the highest priorities that the LA County has. And if you know anything about a budget, we all say it's a representation of our values. And I wanna continue to say that it absolutely is. And we are in a situation where things are challenging. But again, we are going to stand up and do the best we can. We're going to navigate through this, and we're going to do it foresight, strategic planning, and I think a lot of courage, because that's what it's going to take, because we're going to have to make some more hard decisions. As you all know, we're facing some tremendous challenges because of federal government actions and also because of the historic AB 218 settlement costs that still linger and will. continued contract negotiations with our labor partners, the impacts of the January 2025 wildfires, and the stagnant property taxes. And despite all these difficulties, our CEO's budget update last week that he presented, I am a bit optimistic. Optimistic is probably the best word I can say. Would I want to see more? Absolutely. But a lot of those factors are not in our control. and yet we are still having to make these difficult decisions. As some of us know, the state legislature has agreed on increased support and assistance for our safety net programs, but that, members, as we know, is still being negotiated between both houses and the governor. and I would hope that our CEO and all of us weigh in on that, I know we have, but we continue because we depend in a unique way on the state government's budget on so many levels. That includes more assistance that is now being talked about above and beyond what the governors may revise presented. I hope we can stay there, but I know it's give and take at this point. In addition, thanks to the passage of Measure ER, we're going to receive some funding that, as Joe, our CEO said, we're going to be talking about how we distribute the funding and how it was prescribed in formula. and keep to that promise that it's going to be utilized for healthcare. And while we're not out of the woods yet, I know that we have to continue to push through in these really difficult times. And that being said, the CEO has reported that this fiscal, 26, 27 final changes in the budget is before us today, and we're looking at $50.3 billion. And as was stated, a $1.5 billion more we approved this past April, and over 115,000 positions, yet we have a reduction of 202 positions. So people might say, well, how's that happen? It does happen because many of our prescriptions in the budget are driven by different formulas. And however, the final changes in the budget also include several programs that I know I and other members of the board have championed. I want to point them out because I think it is very important. that people in our districts understand this. 8.7 million and 22 positions for continued operations and maintenance of the Esperanza Hills Regional Park in the San Gabriel Valley, which will soon be opening, and also one of the largest regional parks in the county that we've seen in the last 35 years. And to see the two increases of two pool managers We've talked a lot about making sure that we have individuals that are staffing our aquatic centers. I want to point out the two in my district because they're heavily utilized, the Belvedere Aquatic Center in East LA and the Aquatic Center in La Puente in the Puente Valley. 4.2 million to provide critical legal representation through the Represent LA program, which will support Angelenos who have been impacted by federal immigration and enforcement. and the 1.5 million for the self-help legal access center known as SHLAC, which provides court information and resources to people who do not have attorneys for representation. The REP LA program and the SHLAC program are two programs that I authored, and these are allocations that will fund half a year of service, And I am told and hopefully understand that our CEO will go back and help us reconsider to find additional funding for the supplemental budget in September. And I know there will be people coming up to speak to us about this. We've heard your voices. We know the advocacy is necessary, but we also know that we also have other priorities and we stand as best we can with you and our communities because we know how dire the situation is. That isn't gonna go away. But putting some funding away now that we were able to, I think sends a message that we are not giving up. So please understand we're going to continue to fight. And I also wanna point out one time funding that was mentioned earlier by you, CEO, and that's 5.6 million on ongoing funding for the Stay Housed LA program, which provides tenants who are at risk of eviction and information and legal services. something very high on our priority list. $2 million to support the business interruption fund, to support small businesses that have been impacted by unexpected interruptions such as the ICE raids, but even today as we speak, the Boyle Heights fire that also has impacted small businesses. This fund, I hope, will grow in the coming months and years. The $1.1 million for preparing the LA County Employment Place program that you mentioned, CEO, for those people who face barriers to employment because many were previously unsheltered, homeless, or justice-involved, recently released from our carceral system. $9.1 million for Youth at Work program, something that I know I have been championed since I got here. and we're up to now 7,000 positions back, which I hope will continue to sustain itself, because it is important to have our young people trained to work as volunteers, to go out, to gain job experience, and gain that first check, payroll check, that helps to inspire them to continue to work. 29,000 to fund Minimum wage increases for the arts internship program for 118 interns, which makes up, I think, a great deal of diverse young people that are coming into these programs. 1.4 million for the Office of Cannabis Management to continue to fund our staff to develop commercial regulations and compliance protocols, and most importantly, help to also bring in future funding for this budget for that enforcement. $4.6 million for warm landings. And if you don't know what that is, that's a capital project that will help many people who are coming out of our carceral system to receive immediately upon release wraparound services to people that are in that situation. And we're opening that up right across the street from our Twin Towers. uh... under jacob so i want to let people know that colleagues here on the board our staffs have been listening and we know very well what is needed but we're working through this as best we can and lastly the budget reflects almost one million it's been allocated i know for my own office discretionary funds for this esteem program for our youth at our parks and senior programming and meals this has been presented to us in various iterations, not just here, but in our offices, and we know how important that is to sustain that while we see that many of our young youth are out of school right now. They can have places to go. They continue their learning. and they can also open up opportunities for new career paths, hopefully science, engineering, math, art, and all of that and receive the services that they deserve. I wanna continue to say that we continue to share our values to support our own county workforce. I wanna say that they are dedicated people who serve 10 million residents and I honor them and I thank them and I see our department heads here and I please hope that you relay that to your staff because many are doing yeoman's jobs and I see that when I go out and I hear it from my own staff and from the community so know that we are strongly committed to you I want to urge all of us to let the vision and commitment of where this board stands in helping to preserve that safety net continue on and that we face these challenges together no one works in isolation and this board I think desperately needs to have cooperation with our outside partners and with our stakeholders, our governmental entities, especially the state legislature, federal government and all those stakeholders that we rely on. So with that, I'd like to end my statement and I will recognize now Supervisor Janice Hahn.

Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. And let me also just start by thanking you for your leadership as we had this very unexpected and seemingly getting worse every day problem with the fire. And I appreciate you being out there. I also lean into all of our departments who stepped up. Thank you for joining with Mayor Bass to declare the state of emergency, which we will be ratifying, I understand, tomorrow. And we're happy to do that. And a lot of my cities that I represent, Bell, Bell Gardens, Cudahy, they also were impacted even though the fire was in Boyle Heights. Again, depending on where the wind is happening, their quality of life has also been severely impacted. And I know I've been reached out by Senator Lena Gonzalez, Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez as well. And I think they are also expressing the hope that we can figure out air purifiers for this community. So again, of all the communities that just didn't deserve another disaster that really impairs their quality of life. It was our East LA community. So thank you for your leadership and I stand ready to do whatever I can as we continue to mitigate this ongoing disaster. Thank you, Joe. Thank you to your entire team over the hard work that you put into this budget. Thank you to all the department heads who are sitting over there watching these deliberations. And I will be mentioning a few departments in my remarks. So I don't mention you. Don't think it's because I don't love you. I just couldn't mention everybody. But we know that you've been asked to do more with less. And we appreciate how you're continuing to deliver those services that our communities really care about. So this budget is a little over $50 billion. And I know that every dollar was allocated Careful consideration and difficult conversations and decisions, as Supervisor Solis has said, it's going to take courage to continue to make difficult decisions as we go forward. Again, thanks to our department heads, our managers, our frontline workforce. You've all, again, been doing so much more with less, and we appreciate that. So you did mention some things, Joe, in your presentation that we hadn't previously really talked about in terms of jail closure. And I know there are many people who either are here or maybe will be calling in that are very concerned and want to make sure that we're on track to see Men's Central Jail closed and who want to see that funding allocated in this budget to show the pathway forward. And, you know, this board has made that commitment. Right. And, you know, my frustration sometimes with our jail closure implementation team is like they were meeting, they were meeting their reports, reports, and they never were really landing on giving us a clear pathway forward to how we close this jail. And according to this board's motion without a replacement. So I introduced a motion that said, give us a timeline. Give us a timeline. Give us the pathway forward. Tell us how much it's going to cost and what we need to do every single year to make this a reality. And so they came back and gave us a jail closure implementation team five year plan. And with that five year plan, they also in part one of their report, they put Dollar amounts for each of those five years that would keep us on track to closing men's central jail in five years. Our offices received that part one report which included that timeline, included specific asks for dollar amount and There was a but it didn't have a lot of you know, it didn't have a lot of meat on it in terms of really what we need to do. How much is each year going? How are we going to reduce the population? It needed a lot more. So part two is coming. It was my decision, colleagues. to hear those reports together. It felt like there was a big gap in the part one report and that the part two together would give us a better understanding. Well, as a result of that decision, if I had to do it over again, maybe I wouldn't have done it that way. But as a result of my decision to continue them so we can hear them both together, it really upset It really upset our justice advocates. And you may have heard them last week coming up and targeting me specifically as being the one person who is delaying the funding possible to keep us on track to close the jail. They're having a press conference right now as we speak, targeting me. They've launched a billboard campaign. And can I say thank you for not? Having a shitty photo of me on that billboard. Appreciate that. But they're really wanting to hold us accountable to particularly the funding as it relates to are we still on track to close the jail without a replacement in five years. So just want to make sure it was never my intention to in any way delay the funding. I thought we would be better informed if we did both reports together. But having said that, Joe, you outlined a lot of money that looks like we're going towards, whether it's ODR, but specifically to keep us on track for jail closure. Their report, their part one report said that in fiscal year 26-27, We needed to find an additional $24 million toward diversion and other programs that support this jail closure and keep us on the right amount. So somehow, if we miss this funding, now we're behind in our goal. Is there a disconnect between what you presented for the money that this current budget allocates that will get us towards our five-year timeline for jail closure? Or do you still see there's a $24 million gap that they are asking for, the jail closure implementation team, J-CIT, is asking for different than what you think is in this budget?

Thank you for the question, Supervisor. I do want to emphasize that it is a priority for my office as well. It's not just a priority for the board that we take it very seriously. The jail closure implementation team funding sources are varied. Some of it is CFCI, some of it's AB 109. There's a lot of different funding sources that we tap to use to get these priorities funded. I'll just give you an example. So for ODNR.

No, I got all that. I just really need to hone in on this $24 million.

Right, right. So what I was going to say is ODNR leverages a lot of AB 109 funding. AB 109 funding we program in supplemental budget. We get the final numbers from the state between now and then. CFCI is typically programmed in supplemental budget. They're doing their recommendations now. So there are more funding opportunities later in the year than there are in final changes. In final changes, we had literally no new revenue. The only thing we did was we took money out of the retirement budget and reallocated it for

I guess what I'm asking is, do you think the jail closure implementation team is misunderstanding that, in fact, the $24 million that they're asking for for 26, 27 is actually in this budget? Or is there... Is there a gap between everything you're saying and what they still feel like they need to keep us on track?

There's currently a gap. That 24 million is not in the budget yet, but our budget phases are not complete.

Okay, great. So with that, I would say I really hope your team can find that 24 million in time for our supplemental budget phase. Because I know that I want to keep on track, and I don't want to get behind so that we're not going to meet our target. But even so, as you said, these programs are valuable Anyway, right, the expansion of, you know, diversion and anti-incarceration policies that we have in our community, these are important anyway. So if this $24 million can, you know, support the expansion of those programs as well as keep us on track, I think I would love to see your team find that by the supplemental. So, also, and Supervisor Solis, you said this, because in April, the 1.1 million being recommended for Stay Housed LA, I didn't think was good enough, and it's encouraging to see the 5 million in this budget in Measure A funding going to Stay Housed LA. We know that keeping people housed is a much better bang for our buck than once they get you know, unsheltered, then it's going to cost a lot more money and it's more complicated to get people help. So I'm happy to see that. I'm concerned that this budget we're only funding represent L.A. and self-help legal access centers by 50%. So And I understand the logic. Yeah, we're funding them for six months with the goal of funding the last six months in the supplemental. And I know these are critical programs, so I just wanted to add my voice to hopefully fully funding both of them. And when we talk about maintaining our safety net for our most vulnerable residents, we're talking about immigrant and asylum seeker support, deportation, eviction defense, and informing and resourcing litigants who are pulled into legal proceedings but who cannot afford legal representation. That's the core of these programs. I hope to see them fully funded in September. And I was hoping in April, I wanted us to restore the $2.23 million for aging and disabilities for our elder nutrition program. This will allow 700 older adults to access healthy meals and maintain their independence. And that doesn't seem like a whole lot compared to other programs we fund. And again, I hope we can get that funding into the next phase of the supplemental budget. Thank you, CEO, for finding one-year bridge funding to cover the DYD's youth development networks. This is also important because these location-based networks provide youth all over LA County with critical supportive services. and keeps them from entering our juvenile justice system. The more we grapple with probation, the more we have complications from that system, the more I spend time with our young people who are incarcerated, I know that we need to lean in so much more into keeping young people from entering our juvenile justice system. So thank you, CEO, and I'd like to see you support DYD in identifying funding to sustain this program in the future. Again, this is where I don't mean to ignore all the other departments, but I do know that the The cuts that we've had on our NCC departments are really tough. And I know we don't have surplus funds available in this budget cycle, but these reductions for our Department of Parks and Rec have really hit our constituents noticeably. I mean, a lot of things we do are important. These are the ones lots of us hear from. These cuts have led to closure of our regional parks on Mondays and Tuesdays. We've lost our extended swim season, which I fought so hard for. We've lost our award-winning Parks After Dark program. So these are important to our communities. We hear from our residents about these. People who drive up to... The Kenneth Hahn Park and your district, Supervisor Miz, are shocked when it's closed on Monday and Tuesday. They don't understand why that's happening, and so we're hearing a lot about that. So I hope we can find funding opportunities to preserve future services in our Department of Rec and Parks. So, CEO, I just also wanted to Thank you for supporting the Public Defender and Alternate Public Defender's request to sustain their Partner for Justice Advocates program. But since the PD and APD were only granted funding for six more months in that program, Is there a plan to sustain that program beyond the end of the year? Is your team considering funding partners for justice advocates program during supplemental? And are there other identified funding sources that could sustain this program long term?

Thank you for the question, Supervisor. We are encouraging both departments to find external revenue for those programs. These are revenue funded programs. The funding went away. We have a lot of programs like that. We have dozens of programs that have lost funding, either through MHSA funding loss and other grants that have gone away. So we're really working with them to make sure that they can identify other sources of funds to carry this program forward. If not, it becomes an NCC ask and it competes with the remainder of the asks and supplemental.

Right. And again, these are critical for connecting people to resources to help them avoid unnecessary jail time. And we want to do whatever we can. So it's also my understanding that you're waiting on the RAND workload study before you allocate the $12 million you set aside to support our public defenders and alternate public defenders. They're increasing caseloads. When can we expect these additional positions to be allocated? And do you think it will happen by the supplemental?

Well, we're waiting for that report to come out. It has been... My understanding, it has been delayed a little bit. So we're looking at it late summer. So late summer, if it comes in early August, we will go through an implementation process to see how- Because you've set that money aside. Yeah, it doesn't have to be in a budget phase. Because the money's already aside, we can work with the department to add OPAs. These are authority to hire before we can recognize the positions in the budget. So As soon as that's done and the analysis is complete, we can start to deploy that funding.

OK. And the last thing, I know part of our ongoing problem is that we face there's no new revenue that we're generating, locally generated revenue. So Assessor Prang has been requesting some new revenue generating ownership services position. So help us understand why we're holding off on investing in positions that actually could drive new unrestricted revenue for the county.

It's a great question, and he's been very creative. In fact, his aircraft software has got the attention of Congress, who are trying to undo all the good work he's done by shielding those planes from detection.

Wow.

I think the answer right now is you have to spend money to make money. So we need to find money on the line to add more assessor positions, and we're always looking for the opportunity to do that. I think in the last two phases, we focused on really critical core needs that didn't include revenue generation, but if we have opportunities to do that in supplemental, we will certainly do that.

Well, I would definitely lean into investing in positions that actually could generate new unrestricted revenue for our county. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Supervisor Barger.

Thank you Madam Chair and thank you Joe for the presentation today and thank you to Mason Matthews and your entire CEO budget management team who work tirelessly throughout the year to make this budget process where it is today. And I'd also like to acknowledge our department directors and their administrative deputies who are also working hard to service our residents and businesses while we weather this financial storm. So I want to give a shout out to you and your team because you are doing more with less And it's not ignored by this board. We recognize these are tough times, but we're all in this together. I know the last few budget cycles have been even more difficult for county staff and department leaders as we continue to ask everyone to do more with less. We are cutting back on cost, seeking out efficiencies, and identifying vacant positions that can safely be deleted. And something you highlighted, Joe, and I appreciate that with the elimination of some some employee numbers that does not reflect layoffs. That reflects attrition, I guess. Is that a fair?

I think there's been some position deletions and some additions and deletions. On net, it was a 202 position reduction, but it doesn't reflect cuts or layoffs. It reflects operational conditions.

Thank you for that. And I know we are cutting back on costs, seeking out efficiencies, and identifying vacant positions that can safely be deleted. We also instituted a hard hiring freeze earlier this year to provide some relief to the bottom line. The measures that we are taking are important and are not going unnoticed. During last week's budget presentation, I called attention to the county's continued high credit rating from the New York rate agency, something that we were all on pins and needles. But thanks to this team, they saw how we are addressing the shortfalls moving forward. We are hearing that the credit rating agencies want to see us adhere to the fiscal policies, maintaining adequate reserves on our rainy day fund, and commit to not backfill state and federal cuts. We are also carefully allocating our diminishing healthcare resources, especially with the new tax we will receive from Measure ER. Can you elaborate on exactly what the credit rating institutions are talking about with the backfill? Because it's kind of an interesting dilemma that we're in because there are things that we can use one time funding and not impact the bottom line to backfill. So how are they looking at that and how flexible can we be to make sure that, as Supervisor or Chair Solis said, this document reflects our values and there are things that are being cut that we want to maintain?

That's a great question. So at the risk of speaking for the credit agencies, what we've heard from them is the biggest concern is that when you have federally funded entitlement programs and grant programs at scale. The concern is that as those go away, the pressures to fill them with local dollars grows, and it really eats away at your ability to do the basic mandated functions that you have to accomplish. But more importantly, what they're concerned about is threatening your ability to repay on your bonds and your debts. So when they see big risks, they see things like our health services department, which is an enormous budget, They see things like CalFresh, Medi-Cal, the SNAP, which is also CalFresh, the really big programs that if they went away and we started to use our locally generated dollars, we'd quickly eat up much of our local resources. And they're aware of this because there's always a lot of local pressure because there's a lot of local need for us to do that. At the end of the day, these are federal programs. They want to make sure that we draw a line of separation between what the feds have committed to funding or the state and what we are funding with our own local resources.

So whenever you make a determination on one-time funding, you take into consideration the amount of money that we need to set aside to retire our bond debt prior to making that recommendation?

Absolutely, yes. The issue with... We would never want to jeopardize our repayment of bonds. That would result in some serious financial issues. The reason we seek the highest credit ratings is because it reduces our operating costs. We borrow a lot of money. We borrow short-term bonds just to make our payroll each year because the way we receive most of our money comes in April and December after people pay taxes. And then we can dip into the negative in cash flow. So we want to make sure we protect our ability to repay our debt. Those really good bond ratings reduce our overall operating costs, which allows us to use our NCC for programs and things of that nature. So it's really important that we stay committed to that. The one-time bridge funding, we typically describe things as bridge funding so that we can get to a place of either finding ongoing available resources for it, whether it's revenue or some other source, or the program eventually winds down, which has happened.

Thank you. During this phase of the budget, final changes for fiscal year 2026 and 2027, we are continuing to move forward with the soberness that I have rarely encountered during my 30 plus years here with the county. This year is definitely a challenge. We're facing massive legal liabilities brought on by the Gonzales bill, AB 218. And we learned that this state legislation essentially created an open door for the county to be continuously served in perpetuity. At one point, we are seeing dozens of new filings each and every day. It goes without saying this is not sustainable, and we will need reforms at all levels to protect against fraud and ensure settlement dollars are going to the victims and not lining the pockets of predatory lenders, attorneys, and cappers. And I would say on that note, reforms also should be from within. to make sure that we are holding accountable anyone that is committing any sort of abuse on any individual, adult or child, in our system. And so it's not an either or, it's an and, and we need to hold ourselves accountable as it relates to moving forward, making sure that that is occurring. The federal funding cuts that have been looming over the past year are also becoming more crystallized, and the Department of Public Social Services and Health Services are being hard hit by changes to eligibility and program requirements. This will most certainly impact our vulnerable residents who rely on these critical social service programs. While we reached an agreement with our largest labor partner, SEIU, last year that included cost of living adjustments, we are still in negotiations with some of our other labor organizations. It's vital, working collaboratively with our unions, that we find common ground and a compromise while still sustaining the county's financial health. And I know we are fortunate in this county to have labor partners that are willing to sit at the table with us and recognize that there are give and takes. When we went through a downturn in the 90s, it was because of labor that we were able to weather that storm. And I have not forgotten that. And I recognize that they know that they are part of the solution. Obviously, one of my priorities is and will continue to be rebuilding of the Altena community from the devastating Eaton fire. Allocating funds to the Altena rebuild is essential to the long-term recovery of that community. We must move forward repairing damaged infrastructure and natural areas while supporting coordinated, equitable, and sustainable recovery for all impacted neighborhoods. County investment will ensure that displaced families, small businesses, and vulnerable community members have access to housing, economic support, mental health services, and the resources that they need to recover and remain in their community. The Altina Senior Center is a perfect example. Prior to the January 2025 Eaton Fire, the Altadena Senior Center served as a vital community anchor for older adults and adults with disabilities in Altadena and the surrounding unincorporated areas. The center functioned as a trusted place of connection, wellness, enrichment, and support where older adults could remain socially engaged, physically active, and connected to their community. The center's impact was reflected in both its rapid growth and deep community utilization. Before the fire, more than 27,000 residents visited the Altadena Senior Center, demonstrating the increasing reliance older adults placed on the center's programs and services. Even after the fire and displacement of operations, the center continued serving the community through temporary operations and is relocated at Loma Alta Park in Altadena recording more than 19,000 visits in 2024 and nearly 10,000 additional visits as of May 2026. These figures underscore both the extraordinary value the center holds within the community and the continued need for its services during a period of recovery and rebuilding. Rebuilding plans are awaiting FEMA approval to bring back this beloved community hub for older adults who need connection now more than ever. We know the needs will be great to rebuild the center. Most recent estimates are around 18.5 million to rebuild with not all of those funds being covered by FEMA. This project has been pending FEMA large project review and obligations since January of 2026. Until the project is initially obligated by FEMA, we won't know the funding gap, which could be up to $4.7 million. This is something I'd like the CEO's office to keep in mind, especially when we have one-time or carryover funding that could be utilized. But Joe, I have a few additional questions for you. You recently joined the treasurer tax collector and the auditor controller, along with the chair, for meetings in New York with the major credit rating agencies. Can you share some of the takeaways Aside from not backfilling from those meetings, more specifically, how is the credit rating agency looking at the county and looking how we maintain our high credit rating? Did they offer any insight moving forward in terms of rainy day fund? Did they mention AB 218?

So rainy day fund is always a topic of concern for the ratings agencies. They want to make sure that we are maintaining and growing our rainy day fund to our target. Our target is 17% of locally generated revenue. We are below that, but we are continuing to adhere to our policies annually to replenish the rainy day fund. They're most concerned right now, I think, for us with how we are planning to finance AB 218. And we have a financing plan for the current settlements, and so I think they have been satisfied that we have come up with a way to finance that without jeopardizing our ability to repay our debt. The other thing that they mentioned this year, which was probably universal for counties and even states, is the public hospital systems. I mean, because of the changes being brought about by HR1, they really wanted to know, and Dr. Galley was with us, and she did a really good job of explaining her strategy for handling revenue dips, and... And I think they really appreciated the conversation. In fact, they had, unlike priors, they had like a health analyst sit into these meetings. And I want to say they were talking to Dr. Galley about what's happening in LA County to get a better sense of what's happening. in other counties and other states because she brings such a strong perspective to that. So that I think really was top of mind for them. I would say those are the major issues that were discussed. We cover a wide range of topics in these meetings, but universally from meeting to meeting to meeting, they wanted to know how are we funding AB 218? How are we funding labor? And how are we dealing with the cuts to our healthcare system?

Thank you. And I know that the preliminary estimates indicate that Altina alone faces more than $2 billion in public infrastructure rebuild and restoration costs. Can you speak to the challenges we face in terms of generating local revenues to advance these projects? I know there's a septic to sewer project we are working with the state on to try to get low or no interest funding while we wait for the Altina Disaster Recovery District to generate the revenues to ultimately help pay for the total cost.

this project are there other issues that the CEOs office has identified yeah there are there are substantial challenges in raising this amount of revenue in terms of getting to the scale of what we need which is why the advocacy for federal support is so important typically the the federal government would provide what's known as disaster recovery grants these could these could extend into the billions of dollars for a disaster of this scale. So it's really critical that we continue that advocacy because that is a pathway for us to have a more holistic and inclusive recovery. I can tell you what we've done locally. We've done something that no jurisdiction has ever done before. We've created financing districts to use tax increment financing to support our fire recovery between districts in unincorporated third district and in Altadena, we expect to generate about a billion dollars in funding in today's dollars to finance infrastructure costs. I think the challenge there is unlocking that money today rather than years from now when it becomes available. We're working on that. AB100, which is the state program that provides advanced funding for projects that will ultimately receive FEMA reimbursement, has yielded about $203 million in funding for certain projects, which is excellent. Although septic to sewer is not on that list yet, we continue to advocate for that funding. undergrounding and undergrounding grants has been approved and so that will provide a hundred million dollars or so to help homeowners connect to newly undergrounded systems which will provide a much more resilient recovery so we are also we've you know as you know we've waived application fees from building permits so we're also looking to identify funding to cover that in supplemental budget as well so we've done a lot locally I think there's a lot more we need to do and of course the fight for federal funding continues

And I appreciate that, but I also want to remind County Council that I hope that the amount of money we're spending on waiving of permit fees is applied toward our claim against Edison, because it's important while we go to the federal government, this is something that is a cost associated with a disaster that occurred through the wires that sparked at Eaton Canyon. So it's important that we keep track of the cost and, in fact, file that as part of the claim. Because if we get federal dollars, they're going to be very precious dollars to reinvest back in the community. And then on the federal side, we will continue to work with our office in Washington as well as Sacramento to make sure that things move forward. But I want to thank you for the presentation. I appreciate the careful consideration and thought that went into today's budget. We will continue to advocate for fiscal resilience and ensuring that we allocate resources to support our vulnerable communities. And then last but not least, thank you, Supervisor Solis, for your leadership on the fire. I know in my community, I was getting comments from people that had been impacted, and this is all the way up at the foothills. So the impact, and that's nothing compared to what's happening around. I have a staff member in my office who lives five blocks from the fire. in talking to people, it is a serious matter. And your leadership, you know, I saw and John O'Brien with FIRE up there, very proud of the work that's being done to work with. But thank you for your leadership on that. I know it's challenging and I know firsthand It's hard to see people suffer, and there's not a lot that we can immediately do, but we can offer them the support and resources. And I want to thank our team out there, in particular, Parks and Rec, I mean, and ISD, as you said, who, as usual, came forward during a tough time and did what the county does best, and that is shows up and represents. So thank you for your leadership with that. Thank you, Madam Chair.

So much. With that, Supervisor Mitchell, you're recognized.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I'd like to echo Supervisor Barger's comments. I feel like the great county of L.A. can't catch a break. As soon as we think we... can take a pause to inhale and then something else comes at us. And so I agree, I wanna thank you for showing up. That's what county government does. And sometimes people on the outside looking in have an opinion on how they would show up, quote, better or different. Walk a mile in my shoes first. And so I saw your shoes and your boots on the ground. And so I appreciate that. Here we are. Again, and to our CEO and your budget team, you know, peace be with you, as my grandmother would say, because you do not have an enviable task. Just peace be with you. Last week you presented a very grim, and I believe honest, budget outlook highlighting projected deficits from the county's third quarter of expenditures. You shared that there were some revenue side solutions that departments have been working on to mitigate their projected deficits, which I very much appreciate. And I guess for me, I always have to start, just for myself, with the question, how did we get here? And clearly the past few years have been difficult for the county financially. Supervisor Barger said it's one of the worst periods she's seen in her career here. We've heard it today. We've experienced huge impacts to our revenues, federal cuts. We've incurred previously unexpected expenditures, everything from lawsuits to disasters. to a federal government who has cut a trillion dollars from Medicaid. And in addition to all of that, our property tax base is not increasing at the level we saw as recent as four years ago. And so today, in our second phase, I always have to kind of think through it. So thank you for saying this is the second of the third stage, because when I hear final changes budget, final means final to me. But this is the second phase of the three-phase process. And frankly, I don't see any of the structural challenges to our income, our revenue. I don't see any real solutions in the near future. I appreciate and respect the fact that Madam Chair says she feels optimistic. I wanna hold on to some of that. I would say that I am feeling a little more cautious Because it's going to be based on our ability to do something that every business, government, individual household has to do, and that's to balance your checkbook, which is hard when you have the kind of competing resources that government has, particularly the local level of government. Because when you think about it, government budgets are largely investments in people. and local government even more so. Local government doesn't make widgets. That's not the nature of the business we're in. We provide services. It takes people to provide services, that's our workforce, and then the cost associated with the provision of services and infrastructure. That's what local government does, and that's what our budgets fund. And so I say I'm cautiously optimistic because I appreciate deeply the voters for passing Measure ER. And even with the passage of Measure ER, the revenue it will generate will not be enough to cover the full hole that HR1 blasted into our Department of Health, Care Services, Health Services, and Public Health. The legislature's two-party deal is not done yet. We hope the two-party deal does good by the county. It acknowledges the importance of eligibility workers as we keep people enrolled in CalFresh and Medi-Cal. It acknowledges investments in public hospitals. The two-party deal hears and sees the work of the county, but we gotta get that across the finish line, and we're not there yet. And so those are all the reasons I feel, Madam Chair, cautiously optimistic, because there's just a lot of unknowns that are not in place as of yet. Let me start with a question of the CEO, then I'll go into some of my, I'll try to keep it brief, Madam Chair, comments. So you've made it clear that we have very limited resources, and historically, final changes hasn't yielded much in new NCC revenue. I also realize that we had obligations such as the Ethics Commission that we had to prioritize. With that, let me say this about the Ethics Commission and Measure G in general. The proponents of Measure G made it very clear that Measure G would not include new taxes. That does not mean operationalizing Measure G is cost neutral. It's gonna cost to make Measure G real. So we said no new taxes, but that didn't mean free. And so I hope that, and we were told that there was an estimate at that time that it would be an $8 million one-time cost to operationalize, but we've heard today the difference between one-time and ongoing. So there will be budget impacts. We see it right now with standing up the Ethics Commission. So I hope that just like we have department budgets, that there will be some way that we, the public, all of us can track the costs associated with Measure G, like a running tab, either it's identified sort of like we do a department. So we can be transparent about what Measure G is costing and then transparent about how those resources are going into Measure G and are being taken from other places. Because Measure G is not free, it's not cost neutral. There are costs associated with operationalizing that. So getting back to the question, So when reviewing the departmental requests and unmet needs letters from the board, which essential programs were left unfunded in this budget? You gave us a chart that showed, because of newly identified resources, areas you funded. I think it's important for us to understand what was not funded in this budget just so we can kind of understand how you landed, where you landed, and what's been left on the table.

I think I mentioned, Supervisor, in an earlier meeting that we had, that I have a table, a schedule of 89 pages of things that were left unfunded. And as you scroll through... that table, and I can pull it up and start scrolling, but you see critical programs on almost every page. So I'll just give you one example. So one example would be some of the things that are on target, or I guess a few examples, some of the things that are on target for our consideration of supplemental. So we had elder nutrition program, which has been mentioned quite a bit and mentioned again today. We have Vision Zero. That funds programs and services so people are not killed on the roadway crossing the street. I mean, that is a basic program and service. We have health and safety functions in our public health department. These are things like tracking somebody who comes through LAX with measles. These are things that are critical to... a safe society. And so those are the types of things that are not in here. We talked about Stay Housed. Stay Housed is funded through the end of this fiscal year, but it's funded with one-time dollars. There's a structural issue there, so if no more funding is identified, it's at risk of going away. So there's lots of things, Supervisor, and like I said, I could go through a very lengthy list. I'll even talk about uh programs in the sheriff's department systems computer systems that are necessary just for accountability purposes that are not being funded this year so there is a lot uh billions of dollars in unfunded programs not all of those i would describe as critical in fact i think interestingly enough we talk about the safety net quite a bit and i think there is a Not a common understanding of what safety net means. It might be helpful to get clarity around that. So when we bring back our recommendations, we can track to that. There's jail closure investments. There's so much in here that is not being recommended for funding.

I appreciate that and I will have to take a look at the 89 pages. You mentioned Vision Zero, which is critically important to the second district. The second district continues to have the highest number of fatalities because of vehicle, pedestrian, vehicle, bicycle fatalities. Vision Zero was passed by this board years before I joined and has never been fully funded. And so it's another example of we do a report, When you know better, we're supposed to do better. And so as people continue to lose their lives as a result of antiquated infrastructure and in areas that we know that we have technology and ways in which we can improve, I hope that we will ultimately get there. So thank you for that. Let me transition. As I said, we talk about budgets are value statements. What does that mean? Again, from my perspective, it's how we invest and who we invest on behalf of. And so with regard to investments in people that this budget reflects, I'm encouraged to see that Magic Johnson and Wishing Tree Parks are finally going to receive ongoing NCC for operations and maintenance. This was important because there is a minimum staffing level for all parks, and these were the only two parks in our entire system that hadn't met the minimum staffing level. That's important for safety for our patrons and safety for our staff. Park and Rec staff, so I appreciate that. We had looked at some one-time funding solutions, but the ongoing resources will really help reassure our residents that the county intends to continue our services at these parks. Supervisor Hahn said parks and the quality of your experience at the park is one area I think across all five districts we hear from our constituents. People need them. We certainly learned that during COVID. And so I'm glad that these two have finally reached the minimum staffing level that every other park in our system had benefited from. I see and appreciate our continued investments in the Office of Diversion and Reentry and the resources committed to mental health services. These services will help the county expend its work to divert individuals with serious mental, physical, or substance use needs from incarceration to community-based care. We know that over the past four years, the county has incrementally moved resources away from carceral policies to community and rehabilitative policies, and this budget is really attempting to continue to do that. I appreciate you saying earlier that what we see here before us are final changes, and it isn't accurate. reflection of the budget as a whole. So as I listened to Supervisor Hahn, I wanted to go back and look at what our total CFCI at final changes investment is and correct me if my back of the napkin math is incorrect, Mr. CEO, but I see that the total for CFCI final changes is 727.85 million. Of that amount, 413.5 is from unspent dollars, and the CFCI total budget for this year is about 314 million. There's an additional alternative to incarceration set aside of 217 million. So I think this brings us to a total of about 947 million. I think it's important to look at that as we talk about how we've transitioned and are supporting community-based investments. I know we're also transferring community-based contracts from the Probation Department to Department of Youth Development to formalize the establishment of the Youth Delinquency and Gang Prevention Program. So we are trying to make sure that resources are realigned to those whose work is focused on care and prevention. Again, investments in Public Defender and Alternate Public Defender for the Holistic Defense Program explores ways to sustainably fund that program. Appreciate that. And I'm glad to see resources provided to DYD's Youth Development Networks Program. It's important that we continue to invest in our young Angelenos and provide safe spaces for youth to receive support and mentorship in and by their own communities. I think lastly, I'm also glad to see resources going to the Business Interruption Fund at the Department of Economic Opportunity. It's a program that I really wanted us to resource for at least the past three years, given the frequency that we seem to need it, given the frequency with which we have found these interruptions, be it ice, fires, whatever. So not having to stand up the fund for one emergency after another, but have a consistent fund in place, I always thought made sense and was prudent. So I look forward to this fund directly assisting small businesses, which as we talk about generating revenue, are really the lifeline of our county and our region's economic health. Just quickly lastly, I want to touch basis on health and public health. There was an article this past weekend on the front page of the paper, top of the fold, on Martin Luther King Community Hospital. and a new effort that they've engaged in with really small, relatively small grant funds, where they have reduced the number of diabetes-related amputations significantly. That was so powerful because it was just five years ago, I went back and looked at the article. It was in 2021, where it was a front page, top of the full LA Times article that talked about South LA had the highest number of amputations anywhere in the world because of lack of access. to appropriate healthcare services. So in five years to have an 80% reduction through their intensive diabetes management program, reduction in amputation, 70% of their people in the program brought their sugar level under control. It just goes to show for me that this hospital is playing a significant role in keeping people in South LA healthier. And so while I appreciate that they are a part of the empath program, providing beds and services to those suffering from severe mental illness, I also recognize what impact that program and those beds will have on their emergency room, which as we know, serves 123,000 patients a year in an ER that this county designed to serve 40,000. So I hope to continue to work with the CEO to ensure that the hospital remains viable and that it continues to provide these kinds of excellent services to a community that needs it desperately. And so, Madam Chair, I'll just say in closing, this fiscal year will be challenging I think it's important that we remember that Angelenos come to us, the county, when they have no other option for resource and our budgets should and can reflect that we understand our role and responsibility in supporting them.

Thank you.

Balancing our checkbook is our responsibility as a board and to provide counsel and direction to the CEO as we identify our priorities. It will continue to be difficult considering all of the competing interests that we are attempting to manage, but I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in the board to make sure we bring forth a budget that particularly in these very tough times will meet the needs of our shared constituency.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you. So we have joining us Supervisor Horvat, right on time. Welcome.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. We just need one second. Yes. Apologies. I had a unexpectedly long doctor's appointment this morning, so I apologize.

Hope you're okay. It's okay. We're just statements on the budget from the board. Yeah, so take your time.

So I'll start by thanking the CEO and his staff for their work on this year's budget, including your work on this particular phase. Even in a challenging financial environment, we have a balanced budget that maintains services for our most vulnerable residents. We've also maintained our top tier credit ratings, the highest ratings possible from all three rating agencies and this is a result of prudent fiscal practices and I'm glad that our staff has continued to uphold these policies. Recently, we've been talking about how to become more efficient in order to save our resources and also to be good fiscal stewards of our public dollars. So over the last several months, the CEO has convened department heads to do that work specifically including tackling very pressing issues. So to that end, to our CEO, last week you outlined budgetary work that you and your department heads are undertaking to cut costs and to make efficiency improvements to central agency billing, as well as right-sizing of fees to match costs. What is the timeline for this work, and is your goal to include these changes in fiscal year 27-28, or do you anticipate those changes in 26-27?

Good morning, Supervisor. So we have done quite a bit of work along four different departmental working groups. The plan is to have some recommendations back to your board in time for supplemental budget. I think much of the work will continue beyond then. So we will continue to kind of smooth in these recommendations as we go along. But I'm hopeful that as of supplemental, we'll have some recommendations back for your board's consideration. would help us going forward in the rest of this budget.

Okay. I know that your work is incredibly important, not only for the health of our budget, but also for the efficiency of our work as a county. So please continue to keep us updated and let us know how we can make sure that we're staying on top of those changes as they're coming in. I know that we're getting a lot of information in almost real time that will impact some of what we're considering. My colleagues have already covered a variety of topics today, so I just want to highlight a few, including some additional questions. First, of course, is homelessness, which is the most critical issue facing our county because it touches and intersects with so many other issues from health and mental health care to the vitality of our business community and our day-to-day lives for those who are unhoused. One week from today, we'll enter a new era of homeless services in Los Angeles County as we transition our dollars away from LAHSA to the new County Department of Homeless Services and Housing, which was established in January. This move brings greater accountability for results and more transparency into how those investments are going to be made on a going forward basis. It will provide more stability for service providers, give residents clearer visibility into outcomes, and help deliver better services to our unhoused neighbors. With HUD's suspension of funding to LASA last week, strengthening accountability and demonstrating results is not optional, it is essential. This budget phase includes $101.6 million in additional one-time funding for HSH to continue providing homelessness services and programs. This is a significant influx of additional funding. To our CEO, can you provide further detail about where these dollars are coming from and what they will be used for? I know that you touched on this a little bit earlier in providing detail in your presentation. Is there any more that you can share to that end?

Sure. So it's important to note that much of this funding was already considered in the fiscal year 26-27 spending plan. There were a couple of things we were waiting for. There was outstanding grant applications. And then there was just revenue refinements as we looked to program this money in a budget phase. So just a quick breakdown of the 101.6 million, there's about 64 million of that is considered services to other departments. So I'll give you just one example, probably the largest example. ODNR will contract with HSH to provide supportive services at their housing facilities. That is about $59 million in work that they will be doing. We have CalAIM revenue that we're budgeting. It's about 32.4 million to support activities under CalAIM. And then the new grant, which was not part of the fiscal year 26-27 spending plan, it's a grant of just under $3 million from the state called the PATH state grant. This will, let's see, it is the State Department of Healthcare Services through the Capacity, Infrastructure, Transformation, Expansion, and Development Program. Round 4 grant, the CITED grant, that is quite an acronym. And again, it supports CalAIM community services and supports. We also have some partnerships with other municipalities. So City of LA, we have a small arrangement with them for $600,000 for expanded ICMS and street-based engagement. City of Redondo Beach and then LASA as well is providing some funding for some additional work that supports their services.

And I know the additional funding is considered one time, but is there any possibility that any of these sources will be available in following years?

There's really no clear indication at this point whether there will be additional funding for these resources in future years. Something we'll keep an eye on. We'll continue to work with HSH to make sure that we have a good sense of the revenue streams coming in in future phases.

I believe the state has, the state legislature's budget has a $900 million allocation for HAP homelessness dollars. I believe that's more than we've seen in previous years. Do we expect that to actually come through? And if so, how will we be budgeting for and spending that additional funding?

In prior fiscal years, the state has approved a billion dollars for HAP. So this would represent a slight decrease in the total amount of funding. I'll note that in the May, Governor's May revise, there was only 500 million for HAP. And so the legislature's budget brought that amount up to 900 million, much closer to what we were expecting with the billion dollars. We're keeping an eye on this as one of the county priorities. Right now, the legislature is negotiating the final budget package with. with the governor. So this is one of not only our priorities, but counties up and down the state. So we'll have to make sure that we continue to advocate for this funding to be in the final budget package. If it is, typically these funds are budgeted in supplemental budget phase after the budget is done and we have a good sense of state budget. We have a good sense of the revenues that are coming down to the county.

Okay, another significant concern we have is the the federal government cuts to our healthcare system and these cuts have been significant. Not something that we could absorb as a county without cuts to our health departments and that's why i'm so grateful to the voters of Los Angeles county who approved measure er. providing temporary funding to support our healthcare system in the county. So how will the passage of Measure ER impact the county's budget and when do we expect to incorporate those budget adjustments into our work going forward?

Yeah, it will impact our budget in a very positive way. Again, some of the revenue reductions that we're facing, particularly in our health services department, are so massive that it won't be a complete solution to the problem, but it will be definitely a very positive step, and I'm also grateful for the voters to have passed this measure. The estimated year one revenue is about $800 million for Measure ER. That would represent nine months of sales tax collections from October to the end of the fiscal year. The annualized amount is about $1 billion, and of course what we're going to do in supplemental budget is we'll snap that funding to the spending plan that the board adopted, and we'll program the dollars at that time.

The January 2025 wildfires were, as we know, one of the worst natural disasters in the history of our county and in our nation, and we're just feeling the impacts of recovery, but we know there's a long way to go. The fires also had a significant financial impact to the county as tens of thousands of homes were destroyed and their assessed values were reduced. Rebuilding and returning people to their homes and communities and ultimately returning these properties to our tax rolls is critical, which is why we have moved forward with waiving various permitting fees for rebuilding. So to our CEO, does this budget include funding to continue to waive those fees for fire rebuilds, and what is the status of our efforts to help individuals rebuild and return to their communities?

Yeah, Supervisor, the budget does have funding through the end of the calendar year to cover those fees. In supplemental budget, we're going to see where we're at in terms of how many applications came through and what the gap is. and we will have to identify funding and supplemental budget to carry us through the end of the fiscal year. So again, funded through December, need to come back in September to see what the gap is and how to fund it through the end of the calendar year. I walked through a little bit of your second question, what are we doing to help, a little bit earlier. I think a couple of things that I highlighted was, in addition to the waiving of fees, is our efforts to secure local funding. This is something that no one has ever done before is to create these infrastructure financing districts. In your district in particular, the financing district is expected to generate about $233 million in today's dollars to help cover infrastructure projects that will get people back into their homes faster. We have, of course, our public works planning and public health and fire have created one-stop centers for folks to come and have an expedited approach to permitting. Our permits have been streamlined so people can get through the system faster. A lot of folks, I think, just want us to get out of the way so they can get their houses built, and I think we've done that in terms of the permit streamlining efforts that we've done as well. We continue to receive money through AB100. To date, we received just over $200 million in approvals. We're still waiting for the checks. One of the most recent approvals was funding for homeowners to connect to newly undergrounded utilities. So not only will we be able to rebuild in a more sustainable, resilient way, but homeowners will have grant funding to connect to those systems as they come online. Federal funding remains a priority as you know in typically in a typical disaster in prior years the feds would have released Recovery grants typically in the billions of dollars for a disaster at this scale So we continue to advocate for that funding to see Seeing that money come through would be a huge win for us and would really help us have a more expedited and inclusive recovery

I know that how we have established our respective just disaster recovery financing districts are by district and in the fifth and in the third. Are we anticipating that other municipalities will join in that effort going forward or will it strictly be focused on unincorporated la county.

We have had conversations with other municipalities who have shown some interest. To date, none has decided to do that. But we certainly welcome the partnership in that. I think what makes the most sense from my mind is to establish contiguous financing districts. Of course, we have created a rebuild authority that will have contracting power. So if, for example, I'm just going to use an example. The city of Malibu created a financing district adjacent to ours. The rebuild authority can also service that district as well.

City Council Chambers, that's great to hear, and I know when we moved at scale in the debris removal process that allowed us to move faster and get people not only. City Council Chambers, Further along in the recovery process, but also to let them know that we're moving quickly to try and get them back and that helps to. establish hope and confidence in the work that we're doing. So the ability to continue to work with municipalities throughout all of the areas that were impacted, I think is good to hear. The wildfires and subsequent flooding and mudslides that occurred heavily impacted businesses in my district as well. And many of these small businesses barely survived the challenges that were thrown at them through no fault of their own. The same is true for the thousands of businesses that were impacted by the entertainment industry strikes in the county. And these businesses employ thousands of residents and help to make up the fabric of our economy. But unlike larger businesses, temporary closures and other short term impacts can lead to their failure and loss of jobs. That's why business interruption funds are so important, providing small businesses with just a few thousand dollars during times of unexpected closure. can mean the difference between that business closing or surviving. During these disasters, I've funded several business interruption funds with the administrative help of DEO, which is why it's important we're beginning to permanently fund business interruption funds with the $2 million allocated in this budget. While it's a small drop in the bucket compared to the need we know is out there, it allows us to start building out the infrastructure to scale funding going forward as they become available. And an additional $3 million in the supplemental budget would be crucial to those efforts. Over the last several weeks, we've also heard from community advocates about the importance of Represent LA and the self-help legal access centers. These resources are critical lifelines for community members when they're most in need, and these services help prevent so many other negative outcomes, including homelessness. I'm glad we're able to at least partially fund Represent LA and the self-help legal access centers in this budget phase, but we need to fully fund these services in the supplemental budget. Just because the ICE raids may have faded from some of the news, the need has in no way diminished. So we know that both the self-help legal access centers and Represent LA programs have been funded for a number of years. So to our CEO, when in the budget cycle have they been funded? Is it typically supplemental? Because I know that we ideally would like to work on a more sustainable plan going forward.

So for both Represent LA and SLAC, I just want to, many people don't know this, but when I was at DCBA, these are two programs that I Oversaw and helped expand and and and established of course our current director Rafael Carbajal has really done a great job Bringing them to what they are today. So I know these programs very well that the Funding sources for these for represent LA in particular have been a bit scattered over the years So sometimes they come in a budget phase earlier on the year Sometimes they come later in the year because we're targeting one-time funding to continue the program this year the the initial investment in final changes allows them to get ramped up starting July 1. And then it's six months of funding, so that will carry us through supplemental budget to see what other resources we have available to continue that program. For SLAC, the Self-Help Legal Access Centers, that program is contract-based and requires funding typically in either recommended or final changes, again, so they can be up and running July 1. We have a six-month bridge. We will be working in supplemental to identify additional funding there as well.

Thank you. Lastly, I want to touch a bit on our probation budget, which has not changed for many years, while at the same time, the number of young people in custody has been significantly reduced. Over the past several years, we've heard many questions about our probation department, including their budget. and that's why I've authored a motion which went to cluster last week and will be at board next week to take a deep dive into the probation department's budget and how their funds are being spent. We need to start from the ground up. What sources of funding is the department receiving? What they're being spent on? how money is being moved between uses, and most importantly, what we can do differently to benefit our young people who desperately need us to invest in them. Understanding probation's budget is a critical first step, but what we and the community do with that information will be even more important. So I hope that there will be support for that motion. And I look forward to the CEO's assistance with the work of fully understanding how the probation department is spending their funding and what we can be doing differently in the future. I know this year's budget isn't ideal. We've had many financial challenges. but out of challenge comes change. We need to change how we provide services in the county, and we need to be more efficient and lean into the services and programs that are really working and scale those. We need to change how we approach our budgeting, and every department should be evaluated from the ground up so we understand where resources are going, what outcomes they're producing, and whether investments are aligned with our priorities. And I know our department directors are hard at work in that effort with us, and I appreciate their partnership. Carrying forward the same baseline year after year and layering on additional funding is not a strategy. We need to know what's working and what isn't. This is the work we're starting, whether it be by department heads analyzing how shared services can be delivered or by analyzing department budgets from the ground up. And this is what we need to do in a moment of fiscal instability, but it's also what we need to do to provide the transparency and governance that our constituencies demand. I look forward to the hard work we'll be undertaking during the remaining phase of this budget and leading into next year. Thank you.

Thank you very much. With that, before we begin, Executive Officer, can you please read the call-in information and explain the speaking rules to the public?

Good morning, members of the public. If you wish to participate in public comment, you may do so in person or remotely. To participate remotely, please visit our website at www.bos.lacounty.gov. to register and join the meeting, or you may call 213-306-3065 and use the access code 2534253-2355 and meeting password 2672026. You will have the opportunity to address the board and you will receive one minute for public comment. Given the number of speakers who are signed up to speak in order to finish today's meeting efficiently and address all agenda items, the time for public comment on this item will be limited to 75 minutes. It is now 1121. Public comment for this item will end at 1236. If you are with a group, you are encouraged to identify one person to speak on behalf of your entire group. If you are unable to complete your statement, you may submit your written comments to staff to be provided to the board, and they will be included on the record. When it is your turn to speak, if registered on a computer or device, you will hear a beep and your name will be called. or if joining by telephone, you will hear your line is unmuted, your area code, and the first three digits of your phone number will be called. To ensure we hear from both in-person and remote speakers, we will alternate between the two speaking cues. Members of the public who are in attendance, when you hear or see your name displayed on the screen, please come down to the front of the boardroom and staff will assist you. Please do not approach the podium until directed to do so. Also, for members of the public in attendance, please note we have a constituent assistance team that includes representatives from the Department of Mental Health, Public Social Services, Children and Family Services, LA Homeless Services Authority, and Parks and Recreation in the audience should you need assistance from them. At this time, we will hear from members of the public wishing to address the board on all budget deliberation matters, and we will be starting with in-person.

Will the following individuals please come forward and staff will assist you? Aubrey Yarbrough, Laura Hu, Frank Tamburello, Paloma Bustos, Cynthia Ojeda, Jess Ferris, Joseline Pena, Juliet Martinez, Gerson Navidad, Alba Velasquez, Analicia Carr, Anna Hopkins, Thomas Martinez, Chelsea Velez, Ayana Dykes, Kelly Chavez, Diana Escamilla, Rosia Velez, Leilani Ruiz, and Pamela Moyeda. We will hear from in-person speakers first. Please begin.

Thank you. Good morning. My name is Cynthia Ojeda, CEO of Sustainable Management Services. the last 27 years I've been operating certified farmers markets farm to school nutrition programs I sit on the CDFA California Department of Food and Agriculture's Advisory Committee for farmers markets serving alongside our prestigious Commissioner Curt Florin I'm here to ask and this very important topic that concerns CalFresh, Market Match, and our immigrant community nutrition programs that serve these community members at our certified farmers markets. Market Match, in particular, is a program that is limited to certified farmers in California and in LA County. And we need these funds to remain to our citizens. Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

Hi, my name is Aubrey Yarbrough, and I work with Farm Habit. We run nine weekly certified farmers markets in Los Angeles County. L.A. is a city of vast wealth, and yet one in four Angelenos is food insecure. This is frankly shameful. On behalf of Farm Habit, I'm asking the board to allocate $14 million for CalFresh Healthy Living. $3 million for funding Market Match and $20 to support immigrant food justice to those who are losing CalFresh benefits due to HR1 policy changes. Access to healthy food is basic. Kids who eat fruits and vegetables have longer life expectancies than kids who do not. We all know that funding these nutrition incentives makes economic sense. LA County spends $2.3 billion annually on health care costs associated with food insecurity. CalFresh Living is proven to save an estimated $10 in future health care costs for every $1 spent. Thank you. Next speaker, please.

Good morning. My name is Laura Huey. I represent Model Neighborhood Program, which is a community improvement organization that operates incentive programs in the third and second district. We give out incentives through Market Match and the FMMP program to over 8,000 citizens of Los Angeles every year. Every year, our need goes up 10% at these farmers markets, and the funding is not there. We know that we live in uncertain times, and we are asking that you reconsider the officer's recommendation to not fund Market Match and the CalFresh Healthy Habit program and the grocery voucher program, because we need to show our governor that these things are necessary, important. We have the support of the Board of Supervisors so that we can get into those budgets for next year. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good morning. My name is Paloma Bustos, and I'm with the Sunita Jain Anti-Trafficking Initiative at Loyola Law School and also a member of the Reimagine LA Coalition. Before working in policy, I spent 15 years in direct services supporting survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and other crimes. Through this work, I saw firsthand how difficult it can be for victims to navigate the criminal legal system, many feeling re-traumatized by the process and struggling to access the services they actually needed. What I heard most often from survivors and continue to hear today was not a desire for more punishment and investment in incarceration. They wanted housing, mental health services, and economic support to overcome their own experiences as well as rehab services for offenders to prevent harm from happening again. Yet the county continues to invest heavily in law enforcement and the criminal legal system while under-investing in the community-based programs that victims and communities have consistently asked for. I urge the county to prioritize prevention, healing, and community-based care in its budget decisions. Thank you.

Thank you. Next speaker, please.

Hello, Supervisors. Annalise Hikar with the Los Angeles Food Policy Council. We're greatly disappointed the CEO has not recommended funding towards our $37 million request for food and nutrition programs. Food insecurity is associated with higher risk of chronic conditions, mental distress, suicide, poor academic performance, and developmental issues. Investing now means not paying later. Justifications to avoid backfilling federal gaps or continuing ARP funding were cited. These county policies enable exclusion based on past allocation to supersede need and community input and point to why departments may not have made requests for these programs. Our programs should have been deferred to supplemental budget at a minimum as state budgets are still being negotiated. Federal policy is tightening and dismantling our food safety net, pushing people deeper into poverty. If not funded in the regular budget, we urge this board to add food and nutrition programs into measure ER spending plan as these are essential services.

Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good morning. My name is Juliet Martinez. I'm the Vice President of Community Impact in Los Angeles for the American Heart Association. I'm also proud District 4 in Los Angeles County. I'm here today to urge you to include $3 million for Market Match in your budget, an essential public health program. For every dollar of CalFresh benefits used to buy fruits and vegetables at farmers markets, Market Match gives an extra dollar in tokens or vouchers. In fact, every dollar spent through Market Match generates $3 in economic activity. Those dollars stay right here in our community. Access to the abundant fresh fruits grown here in Los Angeles County should be a right and not a privilege. Market Match promotes equitable access of fruits and vegetables for our most vulnerable community members. This program allows families to stretch their food dollars while making healthier choices and strengthens our local economy by supporting farmers, small businesses, and job growth. Market Match isn't just underfunded. It is not included in your proposed budget, and without alternative funding, it will likely end in 2024. I'm asking you to include $3 million in Market Match to support the community. Thank you.

Next speaker, please. Good morning, supervisors. My name is Alba Velazquez, and I'm here from Los Angeles Food Policy Council. I urge you to fund the full $37 million for food programs. We understand that SNAP is a federal program, but CalFish is administered locally, and the consequences of federal disruption are local. When residents lose food assistance or are confused and afraid to use benefits, the cost does not stay in Washington. It shows up here in emergency rooms, housing instability, schools, food pantries, public health systems, and county services. This proposal is not asking the county to permanently replace SNAP. It is asking for a targeted emergency bridge at the exact moment when federal changes are deepening and already existing food access is in crisis. Part of this investment can pay for itself. CalFresh Healthy Living protects federal dollars by helping eligible residents enroll, renew, and keep benefits. A $14 million investment is not simply an expense. It is a strategy to keep federal. Thank you. Next speaker, please.

Good morning, Board. Frank here with Hunger Action LA, and we echo the call to fund the three food programs, Market Match, CalFresh Healthy Living, and the Immigrant Food Justice. You know, the federal government is at an economic war with California. You all know this better than we do. And LA County is especially getting hit hard. So we got to protect ourselves. We have to grow our own food as much as possible. Serve our own residents as much as we can we got to invest in these programs because community members are struggling to feed their families their Paychecks are being consumed by rent gas and out-of-pocket expenses We know the county's in a dire place financially, but these programs create an economic stimulus This money is not going into a hole. It's going to be spent at grocery stores. It's being spent at farmers markets and with California farmers, and it's providing the resources to cut our health care expenses. It's providing the resources for those people who are learning how to manage diabetes and other conditions. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Next speaker, please.

Good morning. My name is Thomas Martinez, and I urge you to fully fund the $37 million budget request across critical food access initiatives, including food justice, Market Match, and CalFresh Athlete Living. Today I would like to speak specifically to MarketMatch. In my work, I serve Los Angeles County's farming community. Many of the farmers I support sell at stands and farmers market where MarketMatch dollars are used to purchase their produce. This means MarketMatch is not only a critical lifeline for constituents who rely on CalFresh and WIC, it also invests in local farms, farm workers, small agricultural businesses that are working to feed our communities every day. Every SNAP dollar generates around 180 in economic activity and MarketMatch creates a ripple effect throughout our local economy. This program provides essential support to your constituents, provides for our agricultural heritage, and ensures that existing farms remain a reliable resource for food insecure residents. So again, I ask that you please fund Market Match, and please fund other critical services, such as the Immigrant Food Justice, Grocery Voucher Program, and CalFresh Healthily Living. Thank you.

Thank you. Next speaker, please. Hello, supervisors. Anna Hopkins with Farm to People. We are committed to securing local harvests and fighting hunger in Los Angeles from our headquarters in District 1, where, as we know and have been hearing, one in four are food and nutrition insecure. This, to be clear, is a public health emergency. And with federal cuts, more than a quarter million of our neighbors are now at risk of losing food benefits altogether. So we're living this crisis in real time, and we will feel the fiscal and human costs for years to come. Right now, we have a choice to make. Right now, young mothers, seniors, the immigrants who are the backbone of our workforce, veterans, and working families are lining up for diminishing food support and access, panicked they will not be able to feed themselves or their families. I urge you to consider permanent funding for CalFresh Healthy Living, $20 million for a grocery voucher program, and $3 million for Market Match. To be the largest county in the country without a robust funded nutrition program would be an embarrassment. Thank you so much.

Thank you. We will now go to remote speakers. Jade, Gwen, your line is open. Please begin.

Hello. Good morning, LA County Board of Supervisors. My name is Jade Nguyen and I'm with Nature for All. I'm calling in support of accessible parks and green space throughout LA County and in support of adopting a budget inclusive of funding for deferred maintenance and critical services and programs for the Department of Parks and Recreation. Parks are an essential public infrastructure that supports and strengthens community health and wellbeing. It can help the county meet county climate goals through nature-based solutions and providing green infrastructure for stormwater capture and flood mitigation. Parks also drive economic value by supporting local jobs, attracting visitors, improving property values, and reducing long-term maintenance costs when adequately funded. Please ensure that our county parks have access to the funding and resources they so desperately need. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you. Caller with phone number 323-359, your line is open. Please state your name and begin.

My name is Anthony Corletto. I'm an SD2 resident and a program associate at the Vera Institute of Justice. In the Los Angeles County jail system, more than 60% of incarcerated people have an identified mental health need. However, numerous reports, years of record high in custody deaths, and various lawsuits have shown that our jails are ill-equipped to meet these mental health needs and deliver appropriate treatments. Instead of expanding jail-based responses under the guise of a new treatment facility, we urge the Board of Supervisors to include in this budget cycle the $24 million requested by the Jail Closure Implementation Team to begin implementing the Men's Central Jail Closure Plan. The plan seeks to expand ODR housing, the rapid diversion program, substance use disorder treatment, and holistic defense, among other proven programs. These services delivered with jails cannot. Treatment, stability, and reduced recidivism rates at a fraction of the cost. We commend the supervisors for advancing jail closure implementation and urge the board to take this opportunity to invest in Abdelino's and our future. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you. Derek Steele, your line is open. Please begin.

Derek Steele here, representing the Social Justice Learning Institute, one of the many organizations that are doing great work under CalFresh for Healthy Living. I'm giving a call, you know, you've heard from many of my colleagues as is, Outcomes that we're already being able to do, I mean, our organization alone has been able to provide over a million pounds of produce to Angelenos all throughout the years, every single year since the COVID years. And being able to have these resources in order to do so are really helpful. Now, we have done what we can to help provide additional resources out of the CFCI space. And you've been able to pass over one-time funding. But there's more that we need to be able to do to be able to sustain this over time. You heard about the preventative nature of the dollars that actually get put toward the work that is happening and the physical activity and also nutrition programs. We just need to make sure we can continue that. So the proposals before you, let's make it happen.

Thank you. Byron, your line is open. Please begin.

Good morning. This is Byron with the Trans Latina Coalition. Thank you to Professor Mitchell for uplifting the need for transparency around how Measure J is actually costing, especially since before Measure G and its budget transparency and engagement opportunity, the opportunity that it was supposed to bring, we used to get three minutes on all budget items for every budget hearing. So if the chair needs to cancel, these meetings and limit public comment just because if we had a care first budget, East LA wouldn't constantly be burning or facing toxic waste. So again, as we would like to make sure we can work with a chair pro tem, someone that will be here for the next two, four full terms, a full 12 years to make sure that we are able to move investments for TGI communities, specifically our housing initiative, and making sure that we're leveraging our NCC or local dollars for care and not just letting the CEO slap whatever label they want to this. And I don't understand why we're cutting minutes to 75 minutes. This is ridiculous. Your staff already limited.

Thank you. Megan, your line is open. Please begin.

Good morning Supervisors. My name is Megan Castillo and I'm a resident of District 2 and I'm speaking on behalf of the Remargin L.A. Coalition. As you all work to close the budget gap I urge you to fully fund the JSA recommendations and uphold the promise of Measure J by continuing to invest in care first approaches that address the root causes of harm. Communities across L.A. have consistently called for investments in housing, mental health services, and community-based care. And earlier this year, RELA partnered with the Million Dollar List to release a report showing that L.A. has spent hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on litigation costs, including settlements and judgments and legal fees. And so, rather than continuing to pay for consequences of failed systems, we should be investing in solutions that prevent harm before it occurs. That includes doing everything possible to preserve survivor rights, and support services including trauma-informed care, legal advocacy, health center services. I urge you to protect those services and investments. Thank you.

Thank you. Kaitlyn Player, your line is open. Please begin.

Hello, Board of Supervisors. My name is Kaitlyn Player, and I am an intern for La Defensa. I am speaking today to protest the carceral spending priorities in this year's recommended budget. Once again, this county is absorbing massive cost overruns from the Sheriff's Department while forcing our frontline care services to freeze hiring. This budget allows law enforcement to exhaust our flexible funding while the Department of Health Services faces a net loss of more than 400 positions. Our jails are in a humanitarian crisis because we continue to underfund the mental health care substance use treatment and affordable housing that actually prevent crime. I urge the board to freeze the law enforcement increases, hold the sheriff accountable for overspending, and reinvest those dollars into our community's true public safety means, funding, care, not cages. Thank you.

Thank you. Maya Hendricks, your line is open. Please begin. Maya Hendricks.

I'm a member of the Reimagine LA Coalition. We are in a crisis, and honestly, I'm tired of hearing the county blame HR 1 or AB 218, but not take responsibility of this county's financial decisions. I live in affordable housing, recently lost my Medi-Cal benefits, and don't exactly know how my family will make ends meet. Yet year after year, you pour over $4 billion into the operations of the Sheriff's Department and spend even more money for their negligence and harm, while social safety net programs like the ones my family and so many others depend on are being slashed. It's enraging to hear that the CEO continues to recommend status quo budgets and pour billions of dollars into systems that cause harm, and this board continues to approve these budgets. If you are serious about putting people first, then you must vote no on this budget. Take the time to go back to the drawing board and invest in what actually keeps us safe. Housing, mental health care, diversion and reentry. Make real shifts, eliminate vacant positions, and reduce law enforcement budgets. Thank you.

Thank you. Madam Chair, there are no other remote speakers to address the board. Remote participation for these items is concluded. We will go to in-person speakers. Please begin.

Good morning, supervisors. My name is Kelly Chavez, and I am speaking on behalf of Los Angeles Food Policy Council. I am here today to urge the board to invest $37 million in food and nutrition programs that support families across Los Angeles County. We are disappointed that the CEO's recommended budget does not include funding for Market Match, the Immigrant Food Justice Grocery Voucher Program, or other critical food access investments. While we understand the county faced difficult budget decisions, Food insecurity remains a reality for far too many residents. The end of one-time ARPA funding does not mean the need has ended. Families continue to struggle with rising food costs, and community organizations continue to see high demand for support. These programs help residents access healthy food, support local farmers and businesses, and strengthen community health. We respectfully ask the Board to prioritize food access and identify funding opportunities to sustain these vital programs. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please.

Good afternoon. My name is with the American Heart Association. I'm here to urge the board to include $3 million for the Market Match program in your budget. I am a local resident of the city of Paramount. Market Match promotes equitable access to fruits and vegetables for our most vulnerable community members and strengthens our local community by supporting farmers, small businesses, and job growth. By funding Market Match, we invest in better health outcomes, reduce long-term health costs, and create a healthier future for our children. Please prioritize funding for Market Match and food and nutrition programs as vital and essential components of our health and well-being of our current LA County residents and to our growing and future generations. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please.

Good morning to the Board of Supervisors. My name is Pamela Molleda. I advocate for item number two, the LGBTI community. The transgender people have been under attack from our society, which lacks empathy for us. Transgender people often face violence, exclusion from employment, and education. I have been attacked because of my identity. Hate crimes have affected my life deeply. The trans community often struggles to find the basic resource like food, mental health, and housing. To everyone who's part of Board of Supervisors, please consider my trans community to give housing. Thank you so much for your support during these difficult times. You remind us that we are not alone. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Next speaker, please.

Good morning. My name is Chelsea Velez, and I am a resident of District 1, and I am also the policy coordinator for the Trans Latina Coalition. I'm here to urge the Board of Supervisors to make good on your commitments to divest from policing, support Care First services, and to support the TGI community in Los Angeles. Specifically, please allocate $20 million to create a homelessness prevention program for TGI immigrants, elderly, systems-impacted folks, and formerly incarcerated individuals. TGI communities specifically experience disproportionately high rates of homelessness, housing instability, food insecurity, and poverty. At a time when the federal government continues to target and attack TGI people, it is of utmost importance that Los Angeles County invests in community-based solutions that keep people safely housed. We are the community. We have the solutions. Please invest in care, not criminalization. Thank you.

Thank you. Next speaker, please.

Hello, my name is Ayanna Dykes. I am a representative of Angels of Change and the Trans Latino Organization. I'm here to speak on the public comment. This is particular about the housing crisis. With the Olympics around the corner, the world will be coming to Los Angeles. What story do we want the world to experience when it does happen? The resiliency of Los Angelians is our whole infrastructure. Stability in our communities where that foundation is rooted and it is in crisis. Every unhoused person is a neighbor whose potential is not able to be realized. Every artist who cannot create, every worker who cannot rest, every young person who cannot afford college because they are focused on survival represents a loss for all of Los Angeles. That cycle needs to change exponentially. If one approach has not proven successful thus far, then change needs to be on the agenda yesterday, especially in the TGI community in Los Angeles.

Thank you. Will the following individuals please come forward and staff will assist you. Chichi Navarro, Adriana Arjona, Bea Curiel, Luis Gonzalez, Yaritza Gonzalez, Alex Bass, Aline Ruiz, Alexandra Morales, Oscar Irajeta, Eric Garcia, Shannon Camacho, Rafael Guerrero, Brian Caneda, Madeline DiMaiuga, Paulina Diaz, Yareli Espinosa, Jason Boxer, Paul Toledo, Christine Elomina, Irma Martinez, and Yesenia Lopez. Next speaker, please begin.

Good afternoon, my name is Diana Escamilla, and I'm a resident of LA County, speaking on behalf of CARESA and the Central American Research Center, and as part of Immigrants Are Los Angeles Coalition. Immigrant families across the county are under pressure from all sides. I have heard multiple stories from our membership that they are losing jobs and are facing rising costs and the fear of immigration rates, which makes it harder to pay rent, much less hire a private attorney if detained. This is also an aging population with little to no social safety nets offered by the government that they pay billions of taxes into. Today I urge LA County Board of Supervisors to pass stronger renter protections such as rent increase freeze, a rent threshold for the whole county, and a permanent rent relief program. I also asked for a guaranteed basic income pilot for immigrant seniors who are exempt from federal and state assistance. And finally, we asked for 8.5 million to fully fund Represent LA program. Thank you.

Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good morning, my name is Eileen. I'm here with the Carescent as part of the Youth Leadership Program and as part of the Immigrants RLA Coalition. I'm here to advocate for a county-wide increase in the rent debt threshold and a permanent rent relief program. I know a lot of family members, community members who struggle, whether paying its rent or putting food on the table, it has been a significant problem for them. Not only that, but my family was barely making enough money to get up to a point where we got an eviction notice. My family has a testimony that extending the rent threshold and providing community members in need of financial safety nets for housing works in times of emergency. I urge the board to increase the rent threshold and make sure that the rent relief program is permanent to all LA County because it takes a long time to get community members access to financial resources.

Thank you.

Thank you. Next speaker, please.

This country is seeking a better life and safety from Central America. After being detained by ICE, I had no idea how the immigration system worked. As someone who has been benefited from legal representation, I can share testimony of its impact. Thanks to the help of an attorney, I was able to navigate the system with a clear sense. Today, I urge you to stand with your fellow immigrant community. By fully funding Represent LA with an allocation of at least $8.5 million in the county's adaptive budget, many families will not be separated and thousands of lives will be saved. We also support the Office of Immigrant Affairs' recommendation to strengthen the program. Protecting our vulnerable communities reflects our values and commitment towards public service and social justice. While DHS is granting billions of dollars to terrorize and take away our hardworking neighbors and create long-lasting trauma for the next generation of children, we are left with limited resources to meet the moment. I urge you to continue supporting Representing LA and to fully fund the program at least $8.5 million in the county's adapted budget. We thank you for your- Thank you.

Next speaker, please. Good morning. My name is Jess Farris with ACLU SoCal and the Reimagine LA Coalition. We urge the board to revisit this year's proposed budget, which once again over-invest in the carceral system and under-invest in care for our communities. LA County routinely gives law enforcement over 35% of our net county cost funding, leaving all other services like housing, mental health care, job assistance, addiction services, et cetera, to split the rest. THESE SERVICES HELP PEOPLE STAY SUPPORTED AND HEALTHY, WHEREAS THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT SEES RECORD NUMBERS OF DEATH IN THEIR FACILITIES EVERY YEAR, ALONG WITH THE PROBATION DEPARTMENT, IS ALSO COSTING THE COUNTY BILLIONS IN SETTLEMENT FUNDING BECAUSE OF WIDESPREAD ABUSE AND MISCONDUCT. SO WE URGE THE BOARD TO PRIORITIZE THE FUNDING THAT J-CIT REQUESTED AND TO BUILD UP MORE MEANINGFUL INVESTMENT IN CARE, HOUSING DIVERSION AND PREVENTION, WHAT WE KNOW ARE EFFECTIVE INVESTMENTS IN PUBLIC SAFETY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. Good morning, my name is Rocio, and I am here with CARESEN and as part of the Immigrants RLA Coalition. As a youth and parent organizer at CARESEN, I witnessed firsthand the impacts that ICE raids have had on our community, and I am here to support those students and their families that continue to find themselves in need of rent relief. For this reason, we urge the board to establish a permanent rent relief program. We also urge you to fully fund the Represent LA program at 8.5 million. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please.

Good morning, Supervisors. My name is Adriana Arjona, and I'm here with the Trans Latina Coalition.

I'm here to speak on behalf of housing. We need affordable housing. I am a survivor, someone who used to live on the streets. It's been very, very hard for me to get where I am today. Thanks to Pat, I have a place now where I'm able to be stable, but we need so much more help.

That is why I ask that you would provide more assistance to the trans community because it is something that we really need urgently. And not just only for our community, but for the whole community in general. It is horrible to live on the street. It's not a privilege. It is horrible. It is horrible.

That is why I kindly ask that you give us the opportunity to have a stable and dignified home. And do not discriminate against us because discrimination and racism is always there against trans folks. Thank you.

Next speaker, please. Good morning, supervisors. And I serve as a director of policy at the Trans Latina Coalition. I'm also a resident of District 5. And I'm here to echo a lot of the sentiments of our coalition partners in revisiting a budget to create a just budget, to really fill in the gaps that we're seeing in terms of getting folks access to basic needs like food and investing in more community programs that we know work. on keeping our folks away from the carceral system. Last week, we got the opportunity to present at the housing and homelessness cluster meetings with our TGI housing initiatives. And while the county tries to redirect and reintegrate the new homelessness and housing department, we are still facing the same issues that we have been and we're waiting patiently while also trying to create creative solutions for our community. So please consider the TGI housing initiatives As we move into the next budget cycle, thank you so much.

Thank you. Next speaker, please.

Good morning, representatives. I'll be speaking on item two. My name is Alex Bass. I'm a resident of District 3 and the policy associate for Trans Latina Coalition. I'm here in support of a creative housing solution for the vulnerable communities like the transgender, gender expansive, and intersex community. disabled, the elderly, the system impacted, and the immigrant communities. These groups of people experience homelessness, violence, and a lack of access to essential services at the local, state, and national levels at higher rates than any other community. TGA High would prioritize housing stability. We are asking the county to invest in a $20 million homelessness prevention program, which would fund and provide rental assistance, flexible financial assistance, housing navigation, and tenant rights education. Investing in TGI High is a crucial step for the county in continuing to advance equity and move towards a more inclusive Los Angeles. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please.

Hello, my name is Chi Chi, District 1 resident, representative of TLC, IRLA, and RILA. The county continues to spend millions monthly on lawsuits from jails, the Sheriff's Department, and youth facilities. This is a rising cost, and yet the Sheriff's Department is asking for $572 million in new funding. More than the departments like the public health, agent of disabilities, youth development, and immigrant services are requesting combined. Meanwhile, J-CIT has been operating since 2022 and has not created any meaningful change. We still do not see scale diversion, job population going down, or care-first leadership. Voters were clear with Measure J. We want care, not punishment. We need long-term investment in housing, health, youth programs, and alternatives to incarceration for the most vulnerable in our communities, trans, immigrants, youth and the elderly, the disabled, and those living in poverty. Also, let's not act like Measure A doesn't exist. Voters gave you authority over the Sheriff's Department. If you say this is a care-first county, then your choices must match your words. Thank you.

Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good afternoon. My name is Shannon and I'm with Inclusive Action for the City, one of the co-chairs for the Immigrants RLA Coalition. As you prepare to vote upon the recommended budget today, we are here to uplift that the county needs to do more and invest more in immigrant communities. We understand very well that this is a difficult financial situation for the entire region, but the county has a duty to provide for the millions of immigrants that live within its borders, now more than ever. We are still advocating for our ERLA priorities, which includes making the county's rent relief program permanent, investing in outreach dedicated to immigrant communities by funding six additional positions for the Office of Immigrant Affairs, and the creation of a guaranteed income pilot program for seniors who are excluded from federal and state cash assistance due to their status. The rates of poverty among California residents, especially older adults, has risen. And data from USC's Equity Research Institute shows that over 60% of the immigrant population in the county are 45 and older. And that number is only going to increase. We already know that undocumented immigrants in LA face higher rates of poverty, wage theft, and a lack of being able to save. So we strongly encourage investment in a guaranteed income.

Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good morning. My name is and I'm here on behalf of the Central American Resource Center and as part of Immigrants RLA Coalition. Goddison has witnessed firsthand the impacts that the ongoing ICE raids are having in our immigrant community. Our immigrant communities are being pushed towards evictions because the fear is making it challenging to work, pay rent, and stay housed. We need to expand the evictable rent debt threshold countywide, pass a rent increase freeze, and establish a permanent rent relief program. We also need to create a guaranteed basic income program for immigrant seniors who are excluded from federal and state assistance. And finally, we urge you, to fully fund Represent LA at $8.5 million to meet the moment that we are in as the federal government continues to increase funding for immigration enforcement.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Will the following individuals please come forward and staff will assist you. Ida Vega, William Narag, Desiree Martin, Lucky Alexander, Vanessa Melendrez, Angel Ann, Miranda Garcia, Alejandra Garcia, Lena Montaz, Pedro Trujillo, Elizabeth Setz, Francisco Santiago, Shannon Axe, Elizabeth Cox, Yesenia Cox, Elliot N, Joseline Hernandez, Ruben Acampo, and Angelica Macariel. Next speaker, please begin.

Hi, my name is Alexandra Morales. On behalf of Immigrant Defenders Law Center, also here on behalf of the Represent LA Coalition, we urge Los Angeles County to secure at least $8.5 million for Represent LA in the adopted budget. The county's budget must reflect the urgency and our values. It should also reflect all the contributions of immigrants to our county. Over the course of last year's wave of raids and detentions, we are reminded that representation matters, and it is the most tangible tool to uphold due process and safeguard constitutional rights. The detentions never stopped. They are still going. Now Congress has granted DHS an additional $70 billion for deportation. In January, IMDEF, alongside Public Counsel Ventura, sued the federal government over the dangerous conditions at Adelanto, where many Angelenos are held, and the California Attorney General released a report underscoring the inhumane conditions in that detention center and the preventable deaths at Adelanto. We must all stand with immigrants. We must all stand up to injustice. We can't normalize what is happening in LA, and we must ensure no immigrant stands alone. Thank you.

Next speaker, please. Hello, my name is Madeline Demiuga, and I am a resident of LA County representing Immigrants RLA and Filipino Workers Center. A stable internet connection, much like the utilities of running water and food security, is not a luxury. It is a right. With the systems the city has integrated over time, reliable internet access determines whether a family can apply for rent relief or access to emergency support. In the past, LA County has invested in digital navigators, broadband pilots, and devices for seniors. These programs made a real difference during the January 2025 wildfires when families needed to file insurance claims and apply for resources fast. Given what we've seen this past week with the linkage logistics facility fire in Boyle Heights, it is clear that we need continued funding for these digital programs that provide hands-on, language-accessible support, especially for LA residents' most dire moments. We need countywide broadband expansion so every household has a connection they can count on. Thank you very much for your time. Thank you. Next speaker, please.

Good morning. My name is Brian Kaneda, and I'm the Deputy Director of CURB, Californians United for a Responsible Budget, and a member of the Coordinating Body for Reimagine LA County, and a proud resident of SD1. I've been working on jail closure issues for more than a decade, and honestly, it's shocking that we are still fighting to achieve the same basic promises that county and community ratified together as part of the ATI process. I want to thank Supervisor Barger for acknowledging the needs for accountability on the jail closure plan. J-CIT has identified the first seven actions needed to begin. The ask is $24 million. That's less than six-tenths of 1% of the $4 billion settlement this county incurred by violating its most vulnerable residents. Please vote to fund J-CIT, eliminate long-term vacant positions at LASD and probation, and redirect those dollars into community-based care. And let me be clear, the sheriff and the district attorney continue floating new jail plans. Many of us in the community will become louder and more- Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

Good morning. My name is Luis, and I'm right here with and I'm part of the immigrants area in LA. IRLA coalition. Right now, the rent is too high and the cost of living in Los Angeles is too expensive. We're unable to live comfortable, living in a small space. The place I lived, had lived for 12 years, had continually increased rent. Every year, as a parent, I must choose between paying rent or buying things for my kids. For this reason, we are urgent to work to pass a rent increase freeze I also urge you to fully fund the refunds to LA program at 8.5 million, thank you.

Thank you, next speaker please.

Hello, my name's Jason Boxer. I'm a constituent of Supervisor Mitchell's in Baldwin Hills, and I work in Supervisor Solis' district at the Pilipino Workers Center. I'm here with the Immigrants RLA Coalition to ask the board to create a guaranteed basic income pilot for immigrant seniors who are excluded from federal and state assistance. This would provide direct cash support so they can meet basic needs and stay stable. We understand that the county has the resources to take this step, and we strongly encourage you to do so. PWC organizes with caregivers whose work supporting the elderly and the sick all over the county make our local economy possible. Many of our members are themselves seniors doing backbreaking and emotionally complex work to help other Angelenos lead dignified lives. A GBI program would ease the immense pressure that our members and all elderly immigrants feel in Los Angeles under the current political climate. This board can act to alleviate the economic fallout of the federal government's immigration enforcement program, which we know is shot through with racism and violence. Thank you for your service.

Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good morning, my name is Irma Martinez, I'm with COFEM Irla, and I am a resident of LA County.

Throughout this whole county, elderly immigrants have worked all of their lives. They've cleaned homes, they've sold food, they've carried out heavy physical labor, and they helped to build this county together with each one of us.

But many people do not have a safety net. They don't qualify for Social Security or for many other federal benefits, and in this moment in time, fear and financial pressure are really making this situation even more difficult. No deberían tener que elegir entre comer o pagar renta en sus últimos años. Me necesita envejecer con dignidad.

They don't deserve to have to choose between eating or paying rent during their latter years. They deserve to be able to age with dignity.

We are asking that the board would create a pilot program for guaranteed basic income

for elderly immigrants who are excluded from federal assistance and state assistance.

And this program will provide economic support directly to them so that they can cover their basic needs and they can stay stable. Thank you. Our elderly helped to build this county.

Next speaker, please. Hello, my name is Cristina Lumina from the Filipino Workers Center, and I am a resident of LA County. Speaking on behalf of immigrants are Los Angeles. There are seniors in this county who have spent decades doing the hardest work, such as cleaning homes, selling food on the street, and doing heavy labor that wears the body down. They built this county alongside all of us. When they age, there is no safety net waiting for them. They do not qualify for social security or federal benefits. Enforcement operations are happening all around them. Many are afraid to leave home, afraid to work, afraid to ask for help. They're cutting back on food and medication just to cover rent. That is not dignity, that is survival. We are asking the board to create a guaranteed basic income pilot for immigrant seniors who are excluded from the federal and state assistance. This would provide direct cash support so they can meet basic needs and stay stable. This county has the resources to act. Our seniors cannot wait. Thank you. Next speaker, please.

Hey all, my name is Eric Garcia and I'm the Organizing and Program Director at Orale based in Long Beach, District 4. And I'm speaking on behalf of Immigrants RLA. Our homes are the only place we feel safe in the face of a discriminatory onslaught. And no matter the emergency, rent is always due. Right now, immigrant families across this county are losing income because immigration enforcement makes it harder to work, harder to leave the house, and harder to do anything in general. Parents are choosing between keeping their families safe and keeping a roof over their heads, and that's an impossible choice. We need a freeze on rent increases, we need protections that let families pay rent without facing eviction, and we need a threshold raised countywide. and we need a permanent rent relief program. There is no safety net for immigrant workers who keep our economy afloat. LA has an opportunity to trailblaze the path and acknowledge their contributions and show them that they too are LA. Thank you.

Thank you. Next speaker, please.

Good afternoon. Hi, my name is Yesenia Lopez. I'm with Cofem Irla. And I'm a resident of Los Angeles County. Throughout their whole lives, our elderly immigrants have worked their whole lives They clean houses, they sell food, they carry out heavy labor and they, together with us, all have helped to build this county. But many do not have a safety net. They don't qualify for Social Security or for other federal benefits. During this moment in time, fear and financial pressure are making a difficult situation even more difficult. They do not deserve to have to choose between eating and paying rent in their last years of life. They deserve to be able to age with dignity. Thank you. I don't say anymore?

Thank you so much.

Next speaker, please. Hi, board. My name is Vanessa Melendrez, and I'm with the Filipino Workers Center, as well as Immigrants RLA. In the Filipino Workers Center, we represent caregivers and domestic workers across Southern California. As a part of IRLA, we support stronger tenant protections, guaranteed basic income, and additional OIA staff. This week alone, I've spoken with six members facing eviction with not a lot of answers to give them of support. And that's not without them trying. Many of them and many immigrant families are actually facing hiring discrimination due to their immigration status. We urge the county to invest in a rent freeze, repayment options for rent debt, and permanent rent relief program. Thank you. Thank you, next speaker please.

Good morning, my name is Ida Vega and I'm here with Kofem Irla.

I'm an LA resident.

Immigrant families throughout the whole county are under pressure from every side. Employment loss and increased costs and fear are making it even more difficult to pay rent. Las familias están tratando sobrevivir con un solo ingreso o ningún ingreso.

Families are trying to survive with just one income or with no income.

Los padres se ven obligados a elegir entre mantener a salvo las familias o conversar bajo techo para vivir.

Families or parents are having to choose between being able to provide for their families or just staying under their roof just surviving.

Y esto está ocurriendo en todo el condado.

All of this is occurring throughout the whole county.

Necesitamos un congelamiento

We need a freeze on rent increases.

We need protections that would allow families to pay the rent that they're behind on.

without having to be evicted.

We need the debt threshold income to be raised throughout the whole county. We need a permanent rent relief program.

The decisions that you make in this moment will determine which families can remain in their communities. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Thank you so much for listening.

Good afternoon, Board of Supervisors. My name is William Narag, and I am speaking on behalf of immigrants or Los Angeles and the Filipino Workers Center. Every day, immigrant families in this county miss out on rent relief, health care, and legal help. They qualify for these programs, but language is a barrier. When services are not accessible in someone's language, those services do not exist for that person. LA County has made commitments to fix this. Those commitments are now in the implementation phase, and that is exactly when community oversight matters most. We need a language access community consultation group launched in the first quarter of this fiscal year. We need language access data shared publicly so the community can track what is happening. We need stronger contracts with community-based organizations, especially those serving indigenous API and black immigrant communities who are too often left out. We need six additional outreach agencies and more funding staff.

Thank you.

Thank you. Next speaker, please.

I'm asking this board to do everything in its power to protect affordable housing and emergency housing vouchers. Behind every voucher is a human being, a senior trying to age with dignity, a veteran trying to rebuild their life, a trans woman escaping violence, a person with a disability, a family trying to keep a roof over their children's heads. When people talk about funding cuts, budgets, and numbers on a spreadsheet, I want us to remember that these are not numbers. They are human lives. These are our neighbors. These are members of our community who deserve stability, safety, and hope. Catherine on this board said we need to protect our community from predators. As she went and met with Donald Trump, the jokes write themselves. We need to stop funding LAPD cops that kill dogs and children and trans women and fund housing. When will you all actually be leaders?

Thank you. Next speaker, please.

Good afternoon. My name is Miranda Garcia and I'm here today for a public comment. Estoy representando el programa Ángeles de Cambio de Trans Latina Coalition.

I'm here representing the Angels of Change program for the Trans Latina Coalition.

Grandes valores estamos perdiendo, como la empatía, la igualdad.

We are losing great values like empathy, like equality.

As a transgender community, we are living through very difficult times here in Los Angeles County. With regards to housing and readjustments with our health.

We know of a budget that was recently approved And we know about the budget which was approved recently.

I would like to ask on behalf of my whole transgender community that you would distribute that budget in an equitable manner and not just for our trans community but for everybody. It's sad to see out there in the parks people who are dying, people who don't have a roof over their head, adults, people that don't have the help that they need.

Thank you for this space to listen to us, to understand and to listen to our petitions. And once again, I repeat, please, let's not lose our values. Let's be equitable. Thank you. Next speaker, please.

Hi, everybody. My name is Pedro Trujillo with CHIRLA, Coalition for Humane and Immigrant Rights. I helped restart the LA Rapid Response Network. a couple of years ago prior to the Trump administration coming back. And even after all we saw and good people coming up to respond to the atrocities and against the atrocities, the federal government once again funded $70 billion to attack communities and counties like L.A. County, another $70 billion for family separation. And it doesn't seem like that's gonna stop. And so this table here has an opportunity to fight back, and one way is through the budget, and supporting immigrants is the way to go. We have a few things on the table for you all to consider, such as guaranteed income for the elderly immigrants, as well as support for renters. Thank you all so much for your support.

Thank you. Next speaker, please.

Good afternoon, my name's Elizabeth.

I live in the city of Los Angeles. I'm here to ask you all to support the immigrant community. Support us with more emergency funds to pay rent, thank you. Thank you, next speaker please.

Hello, my name is Angel Novalo from Comunidades Indígenas Liderazgo Cielo. As indigenous communities, we know that we've been through a lot of situations. After a year of raids, things are not getting any better for our communities. Street vendors, old people still in the streets, still fighting to get some food on the table or paying the rent. Some of them are already facing eviction. We need to find solutions for this. We need to find real solutions for all these problems. After a year, things are getting only worse and worse. It's not getting any better for our community, especially our migrant indigenous communities. Without the language access also, they can't get any help because they don't understand their rights. Without language access, there's no rights. And I want to remind you that one more time, after a year, things are not getting any better. Solo el pueblo salva el pueblo. Thank you for being pueblo. Gracias.

Thank you. Next speaker, please.

Hello, my name is Lucky Alexander, and I'm here with the Angels of Change, and I'm also the founder of Invisible Men. I want to thank you for the work that you do to include our trans community, but also I would like to emphasize the funding. The funding... Funding our community, we already know how to work with us. And so please fund our community and the direct services that they're providing. Very few housing options are available for the trans masculine community, including trans men. And as a trans man that has personally navigated homelessness and intimately understands the risk for sexual trauma, in cis male housing is now, and as now is the founder of an organization that supports trans men, I think it's very necessary that you fund our organizations within the trans community, because we understand ours. Thank you.

Next speaker, please. Thank you. Next speaker. Hello, Board of Supervisors. My name is Lina Mumtaz. I'm a community organizer with the South Asian Network, and I'm here today through IRLA, Immigrants RLA. Specifically in the South Asian community, we've seen many community members lose healthcare coverage, housing support, legal services, workforce development opportunities, and that's not just because of the impact of HR1. It's also because of the budget. At a time of economic instability and escalating federal immigration enforcement, we urge the county to invest in programs that allow immigrant communities not just to survive, but to thrive. We urge you to support stronger tenant protections, permanent emergency rent relief programs, guaranteed basic income programs for immigrant seniors. We urge you to stand with immigrant families and act by including our demands into the budget. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please.

Hi, I'm Yesenia Cush with COFEM, the Council of Mexican Federations and the Immigrants RLA Coalition. Throughout this budget process, IRLA has consistently engaged with the county. We have attended hearings, met with supervisors, your staff, submitted our priorities at the beginning of the year, and sent an unmet needs letter outlining the investments immigrant communities need. Community members and advocates have repeatedly shown up and made their voices heard, yet the budget does not truly reflect the urgency of this moment for immigrant communities. We speak for those who are afraid to speak out because of the climate created by federal immigration enforcement, and for those who feel compelled to speak despite the risks because their needs can no longer be ignored. We continue to urge the county to invest in a permanent emergency rental assistance program, a guaranteed basic income pilot for immigrant seniors excluded from federal assistance. Immigrants make up nearly 40% of Los Angeles County population. Our communities deserve investment that reflect both our commitment and our needs. Thank you. Next speaker, please.

Good afternoon, my name is Alejandra Garcia and I come with and I understand that some immigrant families are facing added challenges because immigration enforcement can make it harder for people to work consistently or feel safe going about their daily lives. When income becomes unstable, it can become harder to keep up with rent and avoid falling behind. These pressures often build quietly, leaving families with very few options before they reach a crisis point. I am asking for the board to respond with stronger countywide tenant protections, expanded rent debt protections, and long-term rent relief programs so families are not pushed out of their homes during times of crisis. Thank you for your time. Thank you, next speaker please.

Hello, good afternoon. My name is Angelica Macarulay, and I'm a resident of LA County speaking on behalf of Immigrants R Los Angeles and Filipino Workers Center. Rent does not stop during a crisis. It comes every month, no matter what. Right now, immigrant families across this county are losing income based immigrant enforcement is making it harder to work, harder to leave the house, harder to do anything. Parents are choosing between keeping their family safe and keeping a roof over their heads. That is the reality the budget needs to meet. We need a rent increases freeze. We need protections that let families repay rent without facing eviction. We need the threshold raised countywide, and we need a permanent rent relief program. The board can still make the right call. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please.

and I'm with the Trans Latin Coalition. GGI people experiencing homelessness, living in public housing, or attending public schooling disproportionately report experiencing discriminatory treatment from law enforcement, public safety, and education systems. Oftentimes, are not trained in cultural competent training, anti-discriminative policies that work on actually serving and helping TGI residents. With this in mind, as the country risks defunding over a million dollars that fund programs that build trust and education between the community and law enforcement and service providers, we risk putting TGI individuals in vulnerable positions. This renders people unable to properly participate in the formal economy as many are systematically denied from any resources that would give them the capacity to become productive members of our economy. I want to remind you that TGI people are normal people just like everyone else trying to live their lives. When you invest in community, community invests back. Consider who you were hired to serve.

Thank you, next speaker please.

Good afternoon, my name is Jocelyn, and I'm here with CARESEN, the Central American Resource Center, and as part of the Immigrants Are Los Angeles Coalition. As an organizer at CARESEN's Day Labor Center, I witnessed firsthand the impacts that the ICE raids have had on our community. Day laborers across this county have spent their lives doing physically demanding work. They have contributed to this county their whole lives. Many have no safety net in their older years. They do not qualify for social security. And with all the ICE raids, fear, and financial challenges has caused some seniors to cut back on food and medication just to pay rent. For this reason, we urge the board to create a guaranteed basic income program pilot for immigrant seniors who are excluded from federal and state assistance. We also urge you to fully fund the Represent LA program at $8.5 million. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please.

Buenas tardes. Mi nombre es Rene Ocampo.

Good afternoon. My name is Ruben Ocampo. I'm part of the Trans Latina Coalition and I participate in the Angels of Change group. I live in Los Angeles.

And I'm here to advocate for the advocacy where we're asking for $20 million for the rent program. Due to cuts in the housing resources area.

I'm not able to be able to find a shelter where to live. That's why I ask you to please help with the rent subsidy program.

Thank you very much. Thank you. Next speaker please.

Hola, buenas tardes. Hi, good afternoon. Mi nombre es Bebe Olivares.

My name is Bebe Olivares.

Vengo en representación de la Organización Translatina Coalition.

And I'm here representing the Organization Translatina Coalition.

Mi presencia hoy es para apoyar el presupuesto para la ayuda de mi comunidad.

And my presence here is representing that my community would be taken into account in the budget. Especially that we would be able to have fair housing.

And be able to improve mental health for my community.

Yeah. Because the process of being able to find fair and affordable housing is very difficult.

And personally, I'm living through this.

I've been on a waiting list for three years.

And they just send me letters saying that I'm on the list and that they're waiting for me. And that puts me in a state of depression.

And I'm just on a waiting list, and they just keep sending me letters saying that you need to keep waiting, and because of that, that has me depressed.

¿Y solo lo único que pido es por favor que ayuden con fondos económicos a la coalición translatina?

So I just ask that you would provide funds for the Trans Latina Coalition.

Gracias.

Thank you.

Thank you. Madam Chair, there are no other in-person speakers who have signed up to speak on these items. That concludes public comment.

Thank you very much. I want to thank all the speakers who came in in present and also those that were on the telephone lines. This concludes our public comments. We'll now hear from our executive officer.

We will now move on to item one, fiscal year 2025-26 budget issues. Joseph M. Nikita, chief executive officer, will make a presentation.

Good afternoon again. Item one is my office's second mid-year appropriation adjustment board letter. This letter proposes multiple adjustments to the 2025-26 final adopted budget across several budget units. Approval of these recommendations will authorize changes that realign and adjust the operating and capital budgets referenced in this letter, and I'm happy to answer any questions that you have.

Seeing no questions from my colleagues, then.

Madam Chair, members of the board, item one is before you.

Moved by Supervisor Han, seconded by Supervisor Horvath. To approve the item, Executive Officer, call the roll.

Supervisor Mitchell?

Aye.

Supervisor Mitchell, aye. Supervisor Horvath?

Aye.

Supervisor Horfath, aye. Supervisor Han?

Aye.

Supervisor Han, aye. Supervisor Barger?

Aye.

Supervisor Barger, aye. Supervisor Solis?

Aye.

Supervisor Solis, aye. Motion carries unanimously with all members present. We'll now move on to item two, 2026-27 budget items. Joseph M. Nikita, Chief Executive Officer, will make a presentation.

Supervisors, agenda item two is comprised of three items, 2A, 2B, and 2C. Item 2A is my office's report summarizing issues raised by oral testimony at the public hearings held on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, and by written testimony as submitted to the executive officer by the close of the hearings on May 15, 2026. Item 2B is my office's budget letter that includes proposed adjustments to the 2026-27 recommended budget that was adopted by our board on April 14th, 2026. It also has recommendations, two recommendations, recommendations three and four that seek delegated authority related to funding agreements. Specifically, the letter seeks authorization for the Director of Economic Development and the Executive Officer of the Board to execute and, if necessary, amend or terminate funding agreements for various programs in the amounts and for the purposes stated in this budget letter. And under Item 2C, your Board can order revisions and additions to the budget recommendations presented in Item 2B as deemed necessary. This concludes all items for Agenda Item 2, and I'm happy to answer any questions.

No questions from my colleagues. Executive Officer?

Madam Chair, members of the board, items 2A, 2B, and 2C are before you.

Moved by Supervisor Barger, seconded by Supervisor Mitchell to approve the item. Executive Officer, call the roll.

Supervisor Mitchell?

Aye.

Supervisor Mitchell, aye. Supervisor Horvath?

Aye.

Supervisor Horvath, aye. Supervisor Hahn?

Aye.

Supervisor Han, aye. Supervisor Barger?

Aye.

Supervisor Barger, aye. Supervisor Solis?

Aye.

Supervisor Solis, aye. Motion carries unanimously. We will now move on to item three, items from previous meetings which were deferred to budget deliberations. Joseph Nikita, Chief Executive Officer, will make a presentation.

Item three is the annual report from the County Director of Beaches and Harbors on the additional annual revenue from Marina leasehold extensions, which totals $352,600 in fiscal year 2526. Happy to take any questions on this item.

Seeing no questions from my colleagues, Executive Officer.

Madam Chair, members of the board, item three will be received and filed.

Hearing no objections, that will be the order.

We will now move on to item four, budget items. Joseph Nikita, Chief Executive Officer, will make a presentation.

Agenda item four is comprised of three recommendations, 4A, 4B, and 4C. First, we have item 4A. This is my office's annual recommendation to approve the appropriations limit, which is also known as the GAN limit, and the appropriations subject to limit for fiscal year 26-27. This GAN limit calculation is required under the state constitution. Next is item 4B. This item is a recommendation that your board approve, if applicable, the revised figures as the final budget for 26-27 and instruct the auditor controller to prepare and present the final budget resolution for board adoption. However, since there were no changes made to the final changes budget recommendations, this item is not needed. Item 4C are eight miscellaneous actions consisting of a series of delegated authority requests or instructions to departments for which we seek your board's approval annually to better operationalize the adopted budget. Specifically, numbers one, two, three, four, and eight seek authority to execute agreements on the terms set forth. Number five seeks approval of budgetary accounting policies. Number six delegates authority to my office to approve the transfer of appropriation as set forth in state budget law. Number 7 seeks approval of temporary transfers of positions among departments. This concludes all items under Agenda Item 4, and I'm happy to take any questions on these matters.

Seeing no further questions from my colleagues, Executive Officer?

Madam Chair, members of the Board, Items 4A, 4B, and 4C are before you.

I will move, seconded by Supervisor Hahn, to approve the item. Executive Officer, call the roll.

Supervisor Mitchell?

Aye.

Supervisor Mitchell, aye. Supervisor Horfath? Aye.

Aye.

Supervisor Horfath? Aye. Supervisor Hahn?

Aye.

Supervisor Hahn? Aye. Supervisor Barker? Aye. Supervisor Barker? Aye. Supervisor Solis?

Aye.

Supervisor Solis? Aye. Motion carries. We will now move on to Item 5, Adoption of the 2026-27 Budget Resolution. Joseph Nikita, Chief Executive Officer, and Oscar Valdez, Auditor Controller, will make a presentation.

Supervisors, the last item on today's agenda is item 5. This item is for County Auditor-Controller Oscar Valdez to present to your board the 26-27 budget resolution. I will turn it over to Mr. Valdez.

Thank you. Madam Chair, members of the board, Oscar Valdez, Auditor-Controller. On April 14th, your board approved the fiscal year 26-27 recommended budget. THIS AFTERNOON WE HAVE UPDATED THE BUDGET WITH ALL THE ADJUSTMENTS APPROVED BY YOUR BOARD EARLIER TODAY. SO AS SUCH FISCAL YEAR 2627 FINAL BUDGET IS READY BALANCED AND READY FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

SEE NO QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES EXECUTIVE OFFICER. MADAM CHAIR MEMBERS OF THE BOARD ITEM FIVE IS BEFORE YOU MOVE BY SUPERVISOR MITCHELL SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR HORVATH TO APPROVE THE ITEM EXECUTIVE OFFICER CALL THE ROLL SUPERVISOR MITCHELL.

Supervisor Mitchell, aye. Supervisor Horvath?

Aye.

Supervisor Horvath, aye. Supervisor Hahn? Aye. Supervisor Hahn, aye. Supervisor Barger?

Aye.

Supervisor Barger, aye. Supervisor Solis?

Aye.

Supervisor Solis, aye. Motion carries unanimously.

Thank you. I'd like to thank all the members of our budget teams as well as our CEO and department heads and staff and everyone that cooperated today. We appreciate that. And again, I want to thank the public and hopefully we will move forward and meet these challenges with courage. Thank you. Before we conclude, the next meeting in the board will be held tomorrow. It's a public hearing, Tuesday, June 23rd at 9.30 a.m. The special meeting for the fiscal year 2026 budget deliberation is adjourned. Thank you. Muchas gracias.