The West Hollywood City Council included citywide events such as WeHo Pride in its annual budget. (photo by Jon Viscott)

The West Hollywood City Council approved the city budget for the 2027 fiscal year at its June 15 meeting. The budget was approved 4-0, with Vice Mayor Danny Hang absent due to a family funeral. Various alterations were made to the budget brought before the council, resulting in cuts and increases to various city line items. Additional discussion for the next fiscal year, 2028, will be discussed at a later meeting. The fiscal year 2027 general fund is anticipated to have $170.6 million in revenue with a surplus of roughly $45,000.

The primary reductions to the proposed annual budget came from the special council program funds, which was reduced from $250,000 to $200,000, while the allotment for the Sunset Music Festival, which had been $4.69 million, was reduced by roughly $1 million. The reductions were made to offset increases to other West Hollywood programs, including increases to the WeHo Love Locals business program, marketing for the Rainbow District and the city’s east side, additional funds for the Russian Library, the Mishka Festival and adjustments to the cannabis tax rebate.

Following the meeting, Councilwoman Lauren Meister alluded to ways in which the city may need to be nimble in the future with its budget, particularly with uncertainties in the national and world economy.

“The budget discussion helped move the city forward in the right direction, although I do think we need to look for additional ways to save,” Councilwoman Lauren Meister said. “There is a lot of uncertainty with regard to the economy. We have to be ready to address potential shortfalls in revenue.”

Councilwoman Chelsea Byers celebrated the compromises the council was able to make to arrive at the approved budget.

“I’m glad we were able to prioritize investments in proven programs that support our residents and business community including the marketing budgets for the Eastside, the Rainbow district, and Emerald Village, along with renewed funds for WeHo Loves Local and continued support for the Green Business program,” Byers said. “We have an ambitious capital projects schedule that we need to keep on track, plus the opportunity to host major events over the next several years to welcome the world to our small city and this demands strong financial stewardship, creativity and accountability as we move forward.”

Councilman John Erickson commended his colleagues and city staff on being responsible with West Hollywood’s dollars.

“The city takes fiscal responsibility seriously and I’m glad we were able to not only vote on a glanced budget but also one that funds vital programs for our businesses, social services and other [vital] programs for our residents while clawing back wasteful spending in favor of a more nuanced approach to a fiscal year that has been challenging across the region for local cities,” Erickson said.

While Hang was absent from the meeting, he was involved in previous meetings’ discussions regarding the budget and commented on his colleague’s efforts to get the budget approved.

“Although I was unable to attend the meeting, I followed the budget discussions closely and commend my colleagues, city manager, and staff for their thoughtful work and effort,” Hang said. “They presented a balanced budget that invests in our community while maintaining fiscal responsibility. West Hollywood remains in a strong position, and I appreciate the careful stewardship that helped move this budget forward.”

Mayor John Heilman complimented the city staff on its work to keep West Hollywood’s budget balanced.

“We adopted a balanced budget that continues existing programs including critical social services and housing programs,” Heilman said. “After some revisions at the meeting we were able to provide additional funding to promote key sectors of our business community. Our staff works all year round to develop our budget and to monitor both our projected income and expenses. Despite the economic uncertainty in the country, our city staff once again delivered a balanced budget which invests in public safety and a wide array of community services.”