The city budget, Animal Services and Skid Row sweeps

Primary source: Watch the official City Council recording from the beginning. The video is the best source. This newsletter is an editorial report based on the meeting transcript and agenda, not an official record. Quotes from automatic captions are lightly cleaned for readability and should be checked against the video.

The short version

The council adopted Los Angeles' budget for the coming fiscal year, confirmed a permanent head of Animal Services and moved forward on development, film-industry and neighborhood-naming items. Public comment kept returning to two less ceremonial issues: working conditions in fast food and the notice given to unhoused residents before sanitation sweeps in Skid Row.

A budget passed, with a warning from the public

The annual budget resolution was handled as Item 38 on the continuation agenda and sent forward urgently at the end of the meeting. The vote completed the council's work on the fiscal year 2026-27 spending plan. Watch the agenda explanation.

The sharpest public criticism focused on the scale of police spending. One commenter argued that smaller community allocations did not offset what the speaker described as nearly $3.6 billion going to the LAPD. Watch the budget comment.

Animal Services got permanent leadership

The council confirmed Gabrielle Amster as general manager of Animal Services on a 12-0 vote. Councilmember Bob Blumenfield said the department had gone years without permanent leadership and pointed to budget actions restoring the Dogs Playing for Life program, increasing spay-and-neuter funding and supporting shelter food and medicine. Watch Blumenfield introduce Amster.

Amster said she wanted to improve shelter operations while expanding partnerships that keep animals with their families and move shelter animals into homes. The appointment passed after a short council discussion. Watch the vote.

Skid Row residents asked for real notice

Several LA CAN members used public comment to challenge the city's Operation Healthy Streets cleanups. Their complaint was specific: permanent metal signs provide a broad day and area, but not a dependable time. A speaker said temporary paper notices used for one cleanup showed that precise warning is possible. Watch the first comment.

Jesse described a woman who lost her belongings, including photographs of her late mother, after not knowing a sweep was coming. Watch Jesse's comment. Tommy asked why unhoused residents in Skid Row receive different notice from residents elsewhere in the district. Watch Tommy's comment.

Workers kept the fair-work ordinance in view

A McDonald's worker asked the council to approve the proposed fast-food fair-work ordinance. She described being injured at work, not initially understanding her workers' compensation rights and later joining a strike after kitchen air conditioning failed. Watch her testimony.

The council also advanced an ad hoc committee on film and entertainment, began renaming part of 39th Street as Paralympic Way and approved the day's broader group of land-use, development and administrative items.