City procurement office warns proposed budget would cut staff 86% and slow small‑business contracting efforts

The Office of Procurement told the Los Angeles City Council Government Operations Committee on May 6 that a proposed 2025–26 budget would reduce its staff from 19 to 3 and transfer core functions to the Bureau of Contract Administration, a move procurement officials warned would delay outreach and the small‑business contracting pilot.

The Office of Procurement’s representative, Leah, procurement official with the Office of Procurement, told the committee the office was created by ordinance in January 2023 to provide citywide procurement policy, technology and training and to make contracting more accessible for smaller firms.

Leah said the office now manages Ramp LA, a regional procurement platform that posts about $10 billion in annual procurement opportunities and has onboarded partners such as LAUSD and Los Angeles County. “Ramp on its own is just kind of like a bulletin board,” Leah said, adding the office has worked with ITA and other departments to make the platform a single place for businesses to find government opportunities.

The office is piloting a Community Level Contracting small inclusive procurement (CLC‑SIP) program intended to break large contracts into smaller pieces and train community business centers and vendors on responding to city procurement. Leah said the pilot began several months ago and the office has spent more than 200 staff hours this year providing direct support and “hand holding” to departments and vendors.

Council members pressed procurement officials about what is in the mayor’s proposed budget. Leah said the proposed budget would cut roughly 86% of the office’s staffing resources — from 19 positions to three — and include exhibit language to transfer the function to the Bureau of Contract Administration (BCA). She said the proposed transfer would not include commodities but would consolidate many policy, technology and outreach functions under BCA.

Committee members and procurement staff said the change would reduce the office’s ability to run the CLC‑SIP pilot, hold office hours, provide direct training to departments and vendors, and maintain recent improvements to Ramp LA, including an e‑bidding enhancement that prompts vendors about incomplete submissions. Leah said those changes are intended to reduce administrative disqualifications and to make procurement opportunities easier to use for small businesses.

Committee members noted the approaching LA 2028 Games and asked whether the office could scale its work to prepare small businesses for a larger volume of contracting opportunities. Leah said the office is pursuing additional staff through CAO budget actions but expressed concern that, with staffing at three people, the office could not sustain current levels of support and would face “very long pauses” on changes and outreach.

The chair thanked staff for the presentation; there was no committee action on the item. Procurement officials said they would remain available to brief committee members as the budget process continues.

The presentation and questioning made clear committee members view the office’s outreach and technology work as central to enabling small and community businesses to compete for city contracts. The committee did not adopt any motion at the May 6 meeting to change the mayor’s proposal; budget decisions will be made through the city’s budget and finance process.