News Summary
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has signed an agreement to prevent furloughs and civil service layoffs for the fiscal year. This comes after negotiations with labor unions to address a significant budget deficit. The agreement will protect over 600 city jobs and ensure essential public services continue without interruption. Mayor Bass emphasized the importance of a skilled workforce to meet the needs of the community, especially in low-income areas.
Los Angeles – Mayor Karen Bass signed an agreement on Tuesday to prevent planned furloughs of municipal employees and eliminate all remaining civil service layoffs for fiscal year 2025-26. This agreement comes after months of negotiations with labor unions and seeks to maintain job security for city workers amid an ongoing budget deficit recovery.
In April, Mayor Bass proposed over 1,600 layoffs as part of efforts to address a nearly $1 billion budget deficit. This deficit stemmed from overspending, high liability payouts, lower-than-expected tax revenues, and various economic challenges faced by the city. Through strategic budget maneuvering by the City Council, the proposed layoffs were later reduced to 600.
During a press conference held at City Hall, Bass stated that the successful negotiations not only protected the workforce but also helped preserve essential city services for the community. The agreement is seen as an indication of the city’s commitment to finding creative solutions while maintaining a skilled workforce capable of delivering vital public services.
Details of the Agreement
Approximately 250 civilian positions at the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) were initially at risk. However, a subsequent agreement with the Los Angeles Police Protective League enabled job security for these positions. Members of the union agreed to receive overtime as paid time off, effectively eliminating the need for civilian layoffs within the department.
Further collaboration involved the LA City Coalition of Unions and the Engineers and Architects Association, which agreed to take up to five unpaid holidays in 2026 to prevent an additional 300 civilian layoffs. Additionally, transfers of affected employees to the city’s proprietary departments—departments which operate on separate budgets—contributed to avoiding layoffs across various city sectors.
Budget Recovery and Monitoring
City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo revealed that the $1 billion budget deficit has been closed following the approval of a revised budget for 2025-26. The updated budget totals $14 billion and initially included plans for layoffs that could have affected over 2,700 city positions, including the earlier proposal of 1,650 layoffs. Ultimately, through strategic agreements and employee reassignments, the final number of potential layoffs was reduced to 614.
Future Outlook
Mayor Bass emphasized the importance of retaining a skilled city workforce to sustain vital public services, especially in low-income neighborhoods. Community leaders and unions expressed appreciation for the collaborative efforts between city officials, which led to securing this agreement.
Looking forward, Mayor Bass and the City Council remain optimistic about achieving a structural balance in the upcoming fiscal year, with hopes for potential budget surpluses in the years to come. Szabo is set to continue monitoring the city’s revenues, expenditures, and liabilities, with a detailed report expected in October.
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Additional Resources
- Los Angeles Times
- Wikipedia: Los Angeles
- NBC Los Angeles
- Google Search: Karen Bass Los Angeles
- ABC7 News
- Google Scholar: Los Angeles budget 2025
- Daily News
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Los Angeles
- CBS News Los Angeles
- Google News: Los Angeles layoffs agreement
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