Committee backs advisory group to assess city finances, refers plan to Budget and Finance Committee

The Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee voted unanimously in favor of a motion to create an advisory group that would assess the city’s financial condition and advise the City Council Budget and Finance Committee.

The motion, introduced in the committee record as by Councilmember Zev Yaroslavsky (with Councilmembers Herastas and Hernandez listed as co-authors), was described in committee as a first step toward long-term fiscal stability. Yaroslavsky told the committee he was "really excited about the opportunity to bring together experts across Los Angeles who can help us put ourselves on a path to financial solvency, and abundance." He asked for the committee's aye vote, and the motion passed with four ayes and one absence.

The motion was formally referred to the Budget and Finance Committee for further development. Committee members did not provide a final membership list or detailed charge at the Rules Committee meeting; committee staff recorded the referral and the committee’s approval.

During public comment, a speaker who supported item 2 suggested the city consider "civic assemblies"—deliberative panels drawn from diverse neighborhoods to weigh budget priorities and defend difficult decisions to the public. The speaker described assemblies as a way to reduce vulnerability to political attacks during periods of financial stress.

The record shows the committee approved the motion and noted the referral; staff in the Budget and Finance Committee will return with a proposed structure and membership for the advisory group. No budget allocation or staffing plan for the advisory group was presented or adopted during the Rules Committee meeting.