Supervisor Mitchell’s Statement on the Completion of the County’s Budget Process for Fiscal Year 2025-2026

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors adopted the Supplemental Budget, marking the completion of the County’s budget process for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the passage of the largest County budget to date at $52.5 billion. Supervisor Mitchell provided the following statement:  

“We entered this budget process facing a myriad of unprecedented challenges—including nearly a billion dollars in federal funding cuts, the economic impacts of the wildfires, and the need to honor settlements for survivors harmed by County employees over several decades. These financial pressures have real consequences for our departments and, more importantly, for the residents who rely on the County as their last resort for essential services and care. 

I want to thank Fesia Davenport and the County CEO’s Budget and Legislative teams for their hard work and advocacy on behalf of the County. Early in this process, I called for regular updates on the County budget to help break down the magnitude of the challenges we face—so that we can be collectively accountable for what this means for our residents. 

While I recognize the necessity for County departments to make budget cuts to help weather these financial storms, I have consistently cautioned against blanket cuts across departments. We know the challenges we are trying to solve are not cut evenly across communities—and our solutions shouldn’t be either. 

We’re already witnessing the inequitable consequences of these cuts: select park closures on certain days, limited staffing to deliver critical services, and threats to our ability to fully implement priorities like Care First. It’s clear that one-time fixes will not be sufficient. The quality of life for our residents—and the values we uphold—demand equitable and sustained investment. 

One component of the budget I’m encouraged by is the progress on the Care First Community Investment (CFCI) process. Thanks to the Board’s support of my motion, this process now includes greater community input and oversight of unspent funds—$245 million in this budget cycle alone. I look forward to seeing these dollars reach the communities they were always meant to serve. 

I’m also pleased to see increased recognition of Public Health as a public safety priority. We must fund it accordingly—especially as federal support declines and politically motivated rollbacks threaten science-based health policy. Public health is public safety. 

The budget process is not a one-time annual event—it is a daily commitment to ensuring our motions and actions translate into real, meaningful investment. For example, while I supported the creation of the new Department of Homeless Services and Housing, its absence from this budget—due to the timing of its development—creates a gap in coordination and accountability. Moving forward, I expect stronger transparency and collaboration, which are essential for the millions of residents counting on us.”