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LA County board approves supplemental budget for fiscal year 2024-25
Lawmakers again request state of emergency for LA County landfill By Joe Taglieri
By Anusha Shankar, City News Service
joet@beaconmedianews.com
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This chart shows the spending percentages for LA County’s 2024-25 budget. | Image courtesy of the Los Angeles County Chief Executive Office
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he Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors adopted supplemental changes to the county’s 2024-25 budget Tuesday, increasing the total spending plan to $49.2 billion. County CEO Fesia Davenport presented her recommended budget updates to the board, adding roughly $3.5 billion to the $45.6 billion spending plan that was approved on June 24. Davenport said a large chunk of the additional money is from unspent funds carried over from fiscal year 2023-24, while about $800 million in new revenue comes from state and federal funding. Only about $16.5 million of the additional spending was locally generated from taxes, she said. A total of 515 new positions were added, with 204 positions in the Department of Social Services, 120 in the Department of Health
Services and some in the departments of Mental Health, Public Health and Youth Development. Additional financial commitments included funding for mental health beds, parks and recreation, supporting genderbased violence programs, domestic violence support services, immigrant and refugee support programs and efforts to eliminate medical debt. Davenport stressed the county’s continued priority for expanding the county’s justice reform initiatives, as well as housing and homelessness, mental health services and public safety. Another $102.4 million in one-time funding was allocated for Care First and Community Investment programs from unspent funds from the previous fiscal year, bringing the category to $626.4 million. Supervisors Hilda Solis
and Holly Mitchell touched on the importance of funding justice care programs, community support and public infrastructure initiatives, including improvements to parks and recreation. “I applaud the $2 million allocated to curb illegal dumping, which will go a long way to help Antelope Valley communities,” Barger said in a statement after the vote. “North County residents in particular are suffering from this pollution which has reached crisis proportions and deserve environmental justice. This illegal activity must be stopped in its tracks.” Davenport again highlighted the potential liability facing the county from Child Victims Act claims under AB 218, which extended the statute of limitations for filing such damages claims. “There are stark fiscal
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realities created by thousands of AB 218 sexual abuse claims that’ll undoubtedly place big demands on the county’s budget,” Barger said in her statement. “It’s critical that we continue spending responsibly, living within our means while still doing right by victims.” Board of Supervisors Chair Lindsey Horvath said she was “happy” the budget invested in expanding psychiatric help, mobile mental health teams and after-hours response. “Whether it’s homelessness response, a care-focused justice model or assistance to our young people and families, more mental health response teams working more hours will ultimately save lives,” Horvath said. The adoption of the supplemental budget is the final phase of the annual budgeting process for the county.
ederal and state elected officials on Thursday repeated a request that Gov. Gavin Newsom declare a state of emergency in response to toxic pollution at the Chiquita Canyon Landfill in Castaic. Republican Rep. Mike Garcia and Democratic Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, both from Santa Clarita, jointly penned a letter signed by 15 additional State Assembly members that “outlines the urgent need” for an emergency declaration to protect the health and safety of people who live near the landfill. “The environmental disaster at Chiquita Canyon has only worsened for residents in Val Verde, Castaic, and the Santa Clarita Valley,” Garcia said in a statement. “Innocent residents continue to face severe health problems and financial hardships because of this ongoing issue. It’s more urgent than ever: We need a State of Emergency.” Garcia emphasized the bipartisan nature of the effort, which included two requests in March for the emergency declaration. “I’m grateful to have Assemblywoman Schiavo as a partner committed to taking this fight directly to the Governor,” he said. “This joint letter proves that this issue transcends political boundaries — it’s about protecting the community and urging the state and county to do more for residents.” Schiavo said she recently stayed overnight at the home of a family that lives near the landfill. “Residents of Val Verde, Castaic, and students of
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nearby schools have been subjected to prolonged exposure to harmful emissions, leading to a range of health issues including headaches, nausea, asthma, heart palpitations, and a newly identified cancer cluster,” Schiavo said in a statement. “Last week, to get a full understanding of the impacts, I stayed overnight with a family in the area. On their street of 14 houses, seven neighbors have been fighting cancer — one has passed away. While I am grateful for the robust state, federal, and county response to the disaster on the landfill site, neighbors just a few yards away do not have the protections or relief they need to keep themselves or their children safe.” Schiavo added that the state of emergency should focus on community relief efforts. The letter calls for a “longitudinal health study” to fully assess the landfill’s impact on local residents’ health. Since 2023, underground chemical reactions in a closed area of the landfill have resulted in toxic gas emissions, toxic leachate and runoff that has reached surrounding areas, according to the letter. In February, the Los Angeles County Public Health Department declared Chiquita Canyon a public nuisance after the agency reported elevated levels of benzene and carbon tetrachloride, which respectively are known and probable cancer-causing chemicals. “Not only have these findings been validated from testing by the (California) Department of Toxic