Knabe Credits 'Frugality' and Workers for County's Balanced Budget

The Los Angeles County's $24.7 billion budget for 2013-14 won't require officials to tap into reserves, cut services, or layoff employees.

The county unveiled the draft of its budget for the next fiscal year, which is required to be balanced. Supervisor Don Knabe, whose district includes Diamond Bar and Rowland Heights, issued the following statement:

“For the first time since the start of the worst economic crisis since the great depression, we will operate on a budget that does not require the use of reserve funds to plug shortfalls.

We would not be in this position without our focus on fiscal prudency, as well as the partnerships we have with our labor unions, who have forgone cost of living increases to avoid furloughs and layoffs.  I want to thank our department heads and hard-working County employees for working with us to make significant, across-the-board budget cuts over the last several years.

We are in no means out of the woods, but with the significant budget cuts we have made and some uptick in revenues, things appear more stable.  However, I remain concerned about significant future financial obligations, such as the Affordable Care Act and Realignment. We must continue to work with our colleagues at the state and national level to ensure that Los Angeles County receives the funding necessary to continue providing mandated safety net services for our residents.

Our frugality has paid off through the rough economic times.  As we see improvements, however, we must remain as disciplined and continue to operate within our means.”