LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia

@controller.lacity.gov

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Official account of the 20th LA City Controller, Kenneth Mejia, CPA controller.lacity.gov

CRC 13 Redesignates the City Administrative Officer as the Chief Financial Officer, with a ten-year term; defines roles in the development and adoption of Capital Improvement Program, preparation of a mid-term biennial budget report and a multi-year financial plan Approve with revisions. Present to voters in November 2026, wib amendments as discussed in this report.
CRC 15 Incorporate Controller's fraud, No waste, and abuse duties into required the Controller's powers and which duties Administrative Fiscal Charter amendment is to enact this provision, is already included in the Code. Impact: No fiscal impact. Note and file.
Budget Bar chart. The bigger the category or department's budget, the longer the bar is. Department Total Budget Police ($3.6B) $3.557.628.561 Other Special Purpose Funds ($2.5B) $2,545,282,776 Fire ($1.5B) $1.514.594.136 Sanitation ($1.1B) $1.069.890,629 Capital & Tech Improvements ($810M) $810,064,173 Wastewater Special Purpose Fund $499,903,538 Street Services $478,429,289 Recreation and Park $474.630.679 Transportation $398,059,754 Housing $384,921,950 Library $365,127,957 City Attorney $314,177,826 Building and Safety $262,923,803 Prop. A Local Transit Assist. Fund $253,358,910 Engineering $242.677,110 Other Agencies $183,707,300 Mavor $154.374.858 Bond Redemption and Interest $115,952,089 Finance $112.615.965 City Planning $111,561,348 Community Investment for Families $108,447,983 Council $106.132.869 Street Lighting $92,072,310 City Administrative Officer $88,310,805 Contract Administration $84.235,266 Prop. C Anti-Gridlock Tr
The report cover. It's called "Fraud Waste and Abuse Investigative Report: GSD Unauthorized prepayments and vendor fraud"
TAKE ACTION NOW! Take action! Email the Charter Reform Commission at reformlacharter@lacity.org Commissioners, Thank you for voting to protect the Controller's budget. As the City's chief accountant and auditor, it's essential that the Controller be empowered and independent After years of cuts, the Controller is currently underfunded with ust 0.29% of the General Fund. This only allows for 7 auditors and 5 fraud, waste and abuse investigators for the second largest City in the County Despite these restrictions, the Controller's FWA unit was able to expose a $23 million fraud case related to a homeless provider not meeting contractual obligations and providing fake invoices. Adequate resources would allow the Controller to provide robust oversight, helping to restore trust in government. To empower the Controller to carry out the office's charter-mandated duties, we ask the Commission to support the Controller's recommendation for a budget of no less than 0.42% o the General Fund. Less than one half of one percent of the General Fund is a small price to pay for transparency and accountability Thank You. VISIT LACONTROLLER.ORG TO SEND AN EMAIL
Letter to charter reform commission As you reform the City Charter following the leaked tapes that severely damaged public trust in local government, it is essential to ensure the Controller has the authority and independence needed to help restore confidence in City Hall. To that end, we thank you for voting to recommend an independent budget for the Controller. However, we are concerned about the proposed language that uses our current operating budget as a baseline, which now stands at an incredibly low 0.29% of the General Fund after years of budget cuts. To allow the Controller’s Office to fulfill its Charter-mandated responsibilities as the City’s chief accountant, auditor and paymaster, we propose a baseline operating budget of 0.42% of the General Fund. The current 0.29% operating budget has hindered our ability to carry out our Charter-mandated functions due to insufficient staff and resources. In 1999, before the Charter reforms that gave the Controller the authority and responsibility to conduct performance audits, this office had 205 positions. Today, after years of budget cuts, staffing has fallen to 159 positions. Since 1999, the amount of money the Controller’s Office is tasked to oversee has grown exponentially. The General Fund has grown from $2.8 billion to $8.2 billion, and the City’s total annual budget now amounts to over $35 billion including proprietary departments. As the number of City employees, programs, and operations has grown, staffing at the Controller’s Office has dwindled due to repeated budget cuts. Our budget constraints create serious risks for the City, including: ● Inability to audit and provide reliable oversight over ALL departments and programs as mandated by the Charter ● Inability to effectively investigate hundreds of Fraud, Waste, and Abuse claims (We received 700 claims last year) ● Inability to proactively launch risk-based FWA investigations ● Elimination of the City’s Annual Preliminary report
Kenneth Mejia speaking in a room full n of UCLA students. Text says "Thank you, UCLA Undergraduate Students Association!"
incumbent upon the City to make a meaningful investment in the Unit. Our Office is continuing to fight to obtain more positions through next fiscal year's budget process so that the independent FWA Unit can continue to bring results across all departments anc throughout the City. Homelessness funds are growing more scarce due to federal funding cuts and ongoing state and local budget deficits. The City has a responsibility to safeguard these crucial dollars to ensure that they are used to provide unhoused community members with a humane standard of care. The Controller's Office remains committed to protecting government integrity and serving as the taxpayers' watchdog. The four million people of Los Angeles deserve true accountability and proper use of their tax dollars ABOUT THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE FRAUD, WASTE, & ABUSE UNIT The Controller's Office aims to bring transparency and accountability to the use of taxpayer funds in the City of Los Angeles. The Controller's Fraud, Waste, and Abuse (FWA) Unit investigators assess allegations of potential misconduct submitted to their public hotline ano are tasked with identifying, stopping, and preventing the misuse of City resources We strongly encourage people to report allegations of fraud, waste, and abuse involving City resources to the Controller's Fraud Hotline. To make an online report please visit controller.lacity.gov/fwa.We encourage users to file a report online as you will have the ability to upload documents and information, respond to questions from our unit, and provide additional details if new information becomes available. Otherwise, to make a report by phone during business hours, call (866) 428-1514. KENNETH MEJIA, CPA City Controller
January 23, 2026 RE: FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE INVESTIGATION ON HOMELESS SERVICE PROVIDEF In July 2024, and as previously reported by our Office, the Controller's Fraud, Waste, and Abuse (FWA) Unit received a hotline tip alleging contractor fraud by a service provider at an nside Safe hotel. Upon receiving the allegation, our FWA investigators conducted an on-site visit of the location, interviewed residents and staff, and launched a formal investigation intc allegations of contractor fraud. This formal investigation included determining whether the contractor provided food services to unhoused residents in accordance with their contractual obligations. In conjunction with the investigation, the FWA Unit was able to secure immediate relief for vulnerable residents by ensuring corrective action that led to the provision o1 nutritious meals for residents at the Inside Safe site. The FWA Unit's timely and thorough investigative efforts garnered the attention of local and federal law enforcement agencies. Today, the United States Attorney's Office arrestec Alexander Soofer, executive director of Abundant Blessings, on a federal criminal complaint charging him with fraudulently obtaining $23 million in public money intended to combat homelessness. Allegations about contractor fraud are especially concerning because the City spends billions on goods and services each year. Multiple performance audits conducted by our Office in recent years have shown a significant lack of contractor oversight by City departments. These conditions increase the risk that taxpayer funds are being wasted, which leaves less money available to deliver critical services to residents during the City's ongoing fiscal emergency. As a result of the FWA Unit's investigative findings, our investigators will be conducting proactive inspections of shelter facilities to ensure that contractors are providing services in accordance with established requirements. This critical oversight function is imperative…
LAPD officers graduating from the academy and throwing their hats in the air in celebration LA times article headline says Council approves boost in LAPD hiring, despite budget concerns
Today's vote to give additional funding to LAPD to hire more police officers Bob Blumenfield absent Marqueece harris-dawson yes Eunisses Hernandez no Heather Hutt ves Ysabel Jurado no John Lee yes Tim McOsker yes Adrin Nazarian Yes Imelda Padilla Yes Traci Park Yes Curren Price Absent Nithya Raman No Monica Rodriguez Yes Hugo Soto-Martinez No Katy Yaroslavsky Yes
IMMIGRATION COUNCIL FILE TRACKER Passed City Council 1/9/26 Council File 25-0756 Requests report on maximizing fines for impersonating law enforcement and requesting report to affirm residents right to ask law enforcement for identification Intro: Blumenfield. Hernandez Second: McOsker Passed City Council 1/9/26 Council File 25-0698 Asks departments to develop best practices tc train civilian marshals to coordinate with protest organizers and liase with the City and law enforcement; requests LAPD incorporate a "graded response"' to protest response Intro: Soto-Martínez Second: Nazarian Immigration.lacontroller.app
Bar chart of the City's budget showing youth development near the bottom with a budget at $2.5 million and LAPD at the top with a budget of $3.3 billion
Bar Chart that shows FY2026 CITY OF LA LIABILITY PAYOUTS $90 MILLION (48% of liability budget the higher the amount. the taller the bar to visualize liability payouts Police $45.332.565 Street Svces $16.635.000 Misc. $11.295.962 Transportation $5,630,000 Fire $5.576.778 Rec & Parks $2.850.000 Sanitation $2.622.196 General Services $137.500
CASH FOR KEYS TENANT RIGHTS Tenants have a number of rights when presented with a "cash for keys" offer: The tenant is not required to accept or sign the Buyout Agreement. The tenant may consult with an attorney or call LAHD prior to accepting the landlord’s offer. The tenant may cancel the Buyout Agreement up to 30 days after signing it without obligation or penalty. If the owner does not comply with the requirements above, then the tenant has the right to cancel the Buyout Agreement for any reason at any time without obligation or penalty. If the owner does not comply with the requirements above, then the tenant may assert an affirmative defense to an Unlawful Detainer action and may have a private civil remedy against the owner.
graphic with a background of heatmap showing locations where Cash for Keys agreements occurred. Text: Top 5 Zip Codes Cash for Keys (Highest number of tenant buyout agreements) 1 90004 Koreatown, Mid-Wilshire 2 90026 Echo Park 3 90019 Mid-Wilshire 4 90006 Koreatown, Pico-Union 5 90037 South LA
graphic with a background of heatmap showing locations where Cash for Keys agreements occurred. Text: CASH FOR KEYS AVG BUYOUT AMOUNT: $25,000. “Cash for Keys” or Tenant Buyout Agreement is when a landlord pays a tenant to move out of their rent controlled (RSO) unit. Once tenants move out, landlords can re-rent to new tenants at higher, market rate prices.
Over 50% of Angelenos are renters. 50% of LA City renters spend over 30% of income on rent.
Meeting info: 10am Wednesday November 12 John Ferarro Council Chamber LA City Hall 200 North Spring Street Give public comment in person by signing up at the kiosk located at the entrance. Submit written public comment at LAcouncilcomment.com Council file nunmber 23-1134
Should rent be capped at 3% for RSO units?
graphic of eviction notices heatmap with green and white text overlaid: Top 5 Zip Codes (Most Eviction Notices) 1. 90028 - Hollywood, 2. 90015 - Downtown LA, South Park, 3. 90012 - Downtown LA, Chinatown, 4. 90017 - Westlake, 5. 91367 - Woodland Hills. Kenneth Mejia logo, map & analysis: evictions.lacontroller.app
graphic of eviction notices heatmap with green text overlaid: $3,952 avg rent owed for households in LA who received an eviction notice from Jan - Sept 2025. Kenneth Mejia logo, map & analysis: evictions.lacontroller.app
graphic of eviction notices heatmap with green text overlaid: 59,824 eviction notices issued in LA from Jan 2025 - Sept 2025. 91% issued for non-payment of rent. Kenneth Mejia logo, map & analysis: evictions.lacontroller.app
🔎Finding: Finding: LAPD fails to give SMART needed tools: ↪Use-of-force policies are vague ↪No clear policy guidance for dealing w/ mental crises ↪Handcuffing people in mental crisis is required ↪No specialized training ↪SMART officers are armed ↪SMART not allowed to lead responses where weapons aren’t involved 👉Recommendations: LAPD should revise its policy to ↪Direct how to de-escalate ↪Give clear guidance on dealing with mental crises ↪Eliminate handcuffing nonviolent people in mental crisis ↪Require more training for MEU & sworn officers ↪Allow SMART to lead certain mental health calls
🔎Finding: SMART’s performance is measured by how quickly they relieve patrol officers from on-scene duties, not by their impact on outcomes. 👉Recommendation: LAPD should develop ways to measure SMART's impact on mental health incidents and use of force incidents.
🔎Finding: SMART’s focus is (1) relieving patrol officers from mental health calls; (2) involuntary mental health detentions 👉Recs: (1) LAPD should find ways to measure SMART's impact on mental health calls; (2) Clinicians’ role should be re-evaluated to be used in more ways.
🔎Finding: LAPD *requires* an armed, police-first response to mental health related calls, led by patrol units. 👉Recommendation: LAPD should revise its policy to allow SMART units to lead mental health related calls which do not involve weapons.
What is LAPD’s Mental Evaluation Unit? What is SMART? The Mental Evaluation Unit, or MEU, is the LAPD unit whose main role is to respond to mental health related calls. Within MEU, SMART units are the teams that co-respond to these calls (along with LAPD patrol units). SMART units are 1 armed LAPD officer + 1 mental health clinician. (“SMART” = Systemwide Mental Assessment Response Team)