Villaraigosa calls for shutting down some city departments amid budget crisis

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa called Tuesday for all city agencies -- except for police, other public safety and revenue-generating departments -- to close for two days a week starting April 12 because of the city's continuing budget crisis.

"We have to act, and we have to act quickly," Villaraigosa said at a press conference.The mayor said he would direct the city's chief administrative officer to immediately begin planning to set the shutdown in motion.Villaraigosa's call comes one day after executives with the city's Department of Water and Power said they would recommend not sending a promised $73.5-million contribution to the city's beleaguered treasury because the City Council recently declined to grant a desired electricity rate increase.

That action prompted City Controller Wendy Greuel to warn that Los Angeles could run out of cash to pay employees and business vendors within four weeks.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/04/villaraigosa-calls-for-shutting-down-some-city-departments-amid-budget-crisis.html