CANDIDATES SUPPORTIVE OF MAYOR'S NEW BUDGET.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

Mayor Richard Riordan's proposed $4.9 billion budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 will be subjected to extra scrutiny because July 1 also is the date the next mayor comes into office.

As Riordan finishes his eight years in the Mayor's Office, one of his final acts is to put forth a spending plan for the first 12 months of his successor's term.

Both candidates in the June 5 runoff election offered praise for the budget.

``I'm very impressed with what the mayor has done in bringing more services to neighborhoods, which seems to be the theme of this budget,'' said City Attorney James Hahn.

``It's the kind of thing I've been campaigning on about the city and what is important to people.''

The mayor's budget also drew praise from Hahn's opponent, former Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa.

``First and foremost, he created a substantial reserve and a strong fiscal outlook that provides the foundation for any new initiatives we want to take,'' Villaraigosa said.

Riordan's budget, containing the biggest increase he has proposed in his eight years as mayor, sets aside some $65 million for liability claims against the Los Angeles Police Department because of the Rampart Division corruption case and to cover the first-year costs of a federal consent decree over the LAPD.

``That's money I would rather see spent on parks and libraries,'' Riordan said. ``We could repair more streets and sidewalks if we didn't have to spend this money on Rampart.''

Villaraigosa echoed that view.

``I share his frustration that so much money has to go for the LAPD and isn't being reflected in direct service to the public,'' Villaraigosa said.

``But until we get the consent decree and Rampart resolved, it's an unfortunate fact of life and we have very little choice.''

Hahn said the budget also has enough flexibility built in that it would allow him to carry out some of the other plans he has for the city, such as a further increase in the Police Department.

The City Council will closely review the budget because of the change in mayors, said acting council President Ruth Galanter.

``It is especially important this year because the budget is being proposed by one mayor and will be carried out by another,'' Galanter said.

One of the biggest early criticisms of the spending plan is that Riordan calls for the hiring of only 360 new officers for this coming year, which could drop the size of the police force from 9,000 to 8,700 officers.

The LAPD plans to put civilians in some desk jobs and take other steps to deploy more officers in the field, but Riordan said the force will remain below the 10,000 level he wanted.

``We did reach a peak of about 9,800 (officers), but that dropped because of poor morale and the economy where other jurisdictions could hire our officers,'' Riordan said. The LAPD now has slightly more than 9,000 officers.

Councilman Mike Feuer, who chairs the council's Budget and Finance Committee that will review the spending plan, said the LAPD is his major concern.

``That is something I want to look at, because it's not a function of money, it's a function of recruiting,'' said Feuer, who is one of two candidates for city attorney in the June 5 election. ``It's something that deserves analysis.''

Riordan said there have been signs that recruiting efforts are improving and money is available if the LAPD is able to hire more officers.

Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski said there are other signs of improvement within the LAPD, with the attrition rate of officers dropping to below 500 a year from a high of 750 two years ago.

Feuer and Miscikowski both praised the mayor for including an additional $44 million for the Los Angeles Fire Department to have paramedics at each fire station and to hire more firefighters.