We need to ensure that our industries are thriving and that the regulations are not so prescriptive that businesses want to move out of Los Angeles. As Controller, I would work to:
- Meet with Chambers of Commerce to identify opportunities for a more efficient and customer-focused approach to taxation, permitting and licensing processes
- Support efforts to reduce Cannabis licensing and exorbitant taxation – for more, see: clements4controller.com/420
- Audit our cumbersome contracting processes and recommend changes to facilitate more contracting opportunities for local businesses
- Facilitate an expansion of Sidewalk Vending opportunities and facilitate County vending cart approval and utilize technologies to create zones and a vending reservation system to help our vital sidewalk vendors
- Study community contracting opportunities, gig-economy models, and Angeleno cards for services such as community graffiti removal, community trash pick-up, and other maintenance services that would also push more money back into the community
- Advocate for a 4-day workweek in the public and private sector: We can no longer fall behind the world in terms of work/life balance
There are also currently thousands of city jobs sitting vacant that qualified Angelenos could fill. However, a cumbersome civil service (hiring) process creates unnecessary delays and red tape. This is a city-wide problem. Some city departments are suffering from a whopping 30% vacancy rate because the city can’t hire quick enough. Our current way of hiring needs to be refined and modernized. Most city employees don’t even live in LA. We need to hire more residents of Los Angeles for city jobs, regardless of their background or zip code. My plan is to work with our city leaders to:
- Optimize and reform the cumbersome civil service hiring process.
- Expand the Targeted Local Hire/Bridge to Jobs program to hire more Angelenos from diverse, disadvantaged backgrounds for city jobs.
- Identify opportunities to incentivize hiring more police and firefighters from our neighborhoods. We need to act now to employ public safety officers who have a vested interest in our communities.
