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LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia

@controller.lacity.gov

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

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LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia@controller.lacity.gov · 2mo ago

🤝HELP MAKE CITY HALL MORE ACCOUNTABLE! (In less than 10 mins!) ᯓ➤ The Controller’s Office should have an independent budget (NOT decided by Mayor & Council). An independent budget would protect us from political retaliation. YOU can help! Email your Councilmember:

LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia@controller.lacity.gov · 4mo ago

MAYOR'S $14.8 BILLION PROPOSED CITY OF LA BUDGET JUST DROPPED‼️ FEW HIGHLIGHTS 🧵 🚔 LAPD: $223 Million INCREASE to $3.6 Billion Includes increases in salaries, overtime, pensions, benefits, liability claims, & more. Includes hiring 510 officers to maintain a force of 8,555.

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
LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia@controller.lacity.gov · 4mo ago

🚨 VENDOR FRAUD The City spent $461k & never got the goods! Our FWA Unit investigated & substantiated the allegation! - City’s response led to $542k judgment against vendor - Vendor can't do business w/ City for 3 years - Defrauded city dept. is implementing our recommendations

The report cover. It's called "Fraud Waste and Abuse Investigative Report: GSD Unauthorized prepayments and vendor fraud"
LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia@controller.lacity.gov · 5mo ago

In 1999, the Controller’s Office had 205 positions. Today, staffing has fallen to 159 positions. Tomorrow, the Charter Reform Commission could empower us to provide robust oversight & accountability - or keep our budget the same, exposing the City to serious risks.

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 ● Delays in closing the accounting books at year-end and implementing the City’s budget ● Delays in implementing Council instructions for appropriating funds, including quarterly instructions from the Financial Status Reports ● Delays in payments to vendors and employees ● Inability to provide effective oversight over all city payments / spending ● Lawsuits and labor grievances due to delays in fixing payroll issues and implementing labor contract provisions ● Incurring penalties for noncompliance with tax laws ● Inability to train and assist Citywide accountants 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. $23 million is also the size of the annual operating budget of the entire Controller’s Office. 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 and provide the robust level of accountability and oversight expected by the people of Los Angeles, please support our recommended budget of no less than 0.42% of the General Fund, which would allow us to hire 240 employees. Less than one-half of one percent of the General Fund is a small price to pay for transparency and accountability. Bar chart showing Controller’s staffing levels decreased since 2009
LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia@controller.lacity.gov · 5mo ago

We just found out that there is another proposal to destroy the Controller's Office at tomorrow's Charter Reform meeting. Help us protect the Controller's Office! 📢Give public comment: Thursday, February 26, 2026, 4pm City Hall, Board of Public Works Session Room 350

LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia@controller.lacity.gov · 6mo ago

What do you notice about the City of LA's budget priorities over the past 13 years? 🤔 I'll point out one thing: the department that maintains, preserves, and enhances our roads, sidewalks, and trees has a SMALLER operating budget than it did 13 years ago! Know which one? 🛠️

LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia@controller.lacity.gov · 6mo ago

In one week, cars killed 5 people in LA, including a pregnant mother & her unborn child. The City paid out $318 million in Dangerous Condition Liabilities since 2020 while investing only 5% of its annual budget in street services & transportation. These deaths were preventable.

LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia@controller.lacity.gov · 6mo ago

Thank you to UCLA's Undergraduate Students Association for having us tonight! We had a great time sharing our budget website and empowering students to advocate for their budget priorities. Want Controller Mejia to speak at your school? Reach out at controller.mejia@lacity.org

Kenneth Mejia speaking in a room full n of UCLA students. Text says "Thank you, UCLA Undergraduate Students Association!"
LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia@controller.lacity.gov · 6mo ago

Since last week's arrest of a homeless service provider for fraud, many of you asked if you can volunteer to help our understaffed Office. We appreciate it, but due to legal reasons, our Fraud, Waste, and Abuse team must operate independently. BUT you can help us through Charter Reform!

LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia@controller.lacity.gov · 6mo ago

Controller Kenneth Mejia’s statement on our Fraud, Waste & Abuse investigation into homeless service provider. Today, the US Attorney’s Office arrested Alexander Soofer, Executive Director of Abundant Blessings, charging him with fraudulently obtaining $23 mil in public money.

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…
LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia@controller.lacity.gov · 7mo ago

Today, the City Council voted 9-4 to give LAPD more money since they're hiring 170 more officers than what was budgeted for. In the past two fiscal years, LAPD went over budget by $210 million + had $260 million in liability payouts. The City will always find money for LAPD.☑️

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