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Outgoing deputy controller Rick Cole urges systemic overhaul of city government
Summary
Rick Cole, recognized at the City Council, used his farewell remarks to call for sweeping reforms — a chief operating officer, a chief financial officer, multi-year budgeting, capital planning and civil-service modernization — arguing these changes are needed to make Los Angeles government work.
Rick Cole, chief deputy controller, told the City Council on June 25 that Los Angeles needs “bold systemic reform” to meet converging crises — homelessness, fire, fiscal strain and aging infrastructure — and urged elected leaders to redesign city government to deliver cleaner, safer, and more reliable services.
Speaking in a formal council presentation recognizing his decades of public service, Cole said hope alone is not enough. “Hope is not a plan,” he told the council, and urged reforms including a chief…
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