What Happened
The council met on May 30, 2025, with 10-13 members present, to adopt the annual budget resolution for Fiscal Year 2025-26. Before the vote, the council held an extended series of recognitions: Council Member Imelda Padilla honored the John H. Francis Polytechnic High School boys basketball team for winning the Division 1 city championship with an undefeated 12-0 league record; Council Member Adrin Nazarian recognized North Hollywood High School's Science Bowl team, a perennial regional and national qualifier sponsored by LADWP, and separately honored USC's Brain Tumor Center for National Brain Tumor Awareness Month; and Council Member Bob Blumenfield recognized organizers of the 33rd annual Canoga Park Memorial Day Parade, the city's only Memorial Day parade, describing its wreath-laying ceremony honoring Canoga Park High School alumni killed in military service.
The council adopted, as amended by Council Members Katy Yaroslavsky and Bob Blumenfield, a lease agreement with the Whittier Area First Day Coalition for a Tiny Home Village interim housing site at 2377 Midvale Avenue in Council District 5 (Item 2, CF 23-1022-S15). The council also adopted a Right of Entry Permit for a skateboarding event at the West LA Municipal Building's Skate Plaza (Item 1, CF 25-0498) and the city's Five-Year Workforce Development Strategic Plan (Item 3, CF 25-0531).
Contested Votes
The council adopted, 11-2-2, the Annual Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2025-26 (Item 4, CF 25-0600), formally adopting the city's budget as submitted by the City Attorney, City Administrative Officer, and Chief Legislative Analyst. Council Members John Lee and Traci Park cast the two no votes without offering floor comments explaining their opposition.
Public Comment
With only the budget item open for public comment, speakers raised a range of budget-related concerns, including questions about LADWP General Manager compensation and housing-allowance benefits, and a request that funding for the Canoga Park Memorial Day Parade and a gang-intervention and homeless-services shower program referenced as having aired on a local news segment be preserved in the final budget. Other public comment concerned an ongoing federal court proceeding before Judge David O. Carter related to the city's homelessness spending and consisted of unsubstantiated allegations against city officials. Several speakers were warned for disruptive conduct, including one speaker found eligible for removal after repeated warnings.