Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa addressed concerns at an informal question-and-answer town hall meeting for Miracle Mile residents and businesspeople on Monday. With no fanfare, the mayor walked around a makeshift town hall in the lobby of the 5900 Wilshire building, courtesy of the The Ratkovich Company. During the nearly hour-long discussion hosted by the Miracle Mile Chamber of Commerce, the mayor addressed concerns about a Miracle Mile master plan, strategic partnerships, education, the city budget, and stressed that the subway is coming to the Miracle Mile.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said he is passionate about the future of the Miracle Mile. (photo by Jose Martinez)

Addressing his vision for the area, the mayor also expressed how he would like to see the neighborhood look.

“In cities like this, as much as possible, today’s city has to look out towards the street to encourage pedestrians,” Villaraigosa said. “I’d like to see more restaurants with outdoor dining. My vision for this street is that we also have a subway. In 2001 people were against it, by 2005 they were split, now it’s the future.”

The mayor stressed to local residents that this is an issue they can weigh in on, pointing out, “I’m responsible for big city plans.”

Speaking in front of three Fairfax High School leadership students in attendance, the mayor noted that education is a priority.

“Education is the economic issue of our time,” Villaraigosa said. “It’s the civil rights issue of our time. If people can’t read and write, they cannot participate in democracy.”

Noting that his son, Antonio Jr., graduated from Loyola High School before attending Princeton, and that his daughter, Natalia, is currently attending Marlborough School, the mayor spoke out in favor of the governor’s tax extension proposal to fund schools.

“When I was going to school, we had the best public schools in the country,” Villaraigosa said. “Politicians like me have to put our money where our mouth is.”

Citing a difference between the population and budget of New York, which currently stands at 19 million people with an annual budget of  $132 billion, as opposed to California with its 37 million citizens and a budget of $127 billion, the mayor says things need to change.

“We’re not funding government,” Villaraigosa said. “We must drive reform and find efficiency.”

One such example that helped the city’s economy was convincing the Beverly Hills BMW dealership to move to the Miracle Mile in the City of Los Angeles.

“That was the first time in 25 years that a car dealership moved to the City of Los Angeles and not away from the City of Los Angeles,” Villaraigosa said.

When the subject of the city’s budget came up, the mayor quickly pointed out that he would not raise taxes.

“I will make the tough decisions,” Villaraigosa said. “We must keep our fire department and police department as intact as possible. I want to save city jobs but the city can’t do everything.”

Addressing that the city must become leaner and more efficient, the mayor noted that city benefits and structure must change. With two more years as mayor, Villaraigosa let it be known that he plans to leave office with a clean and clear conscience, working up until 11:59 p.m. on June 30, 2013. But he also said until then, he will work diligently.

“This is my neighborhood,” Villaraigosa said. “It’s a unique area of Los Angeles. The renaissance era is still to come, especially when the subway comes.”