League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Los Angeles County, CA March 3, 2015 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues Council Member; City of Los Angeles; District 6

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on Most Important Issue, Budget Shortfall, Your District Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest. 1. What do you think is the single most important issue facing the City of Los Angeles today? As Council Member, what would you do to deal with it? Answer from Cindy Montanez: Crisis in Leadership is the single most important issue facing the City of Los Angeles. Streets are in disrepair, bulky items and trash are blighting our neighborhoods, crime and gang violence increased this past year, and the city is facing a $300 million budget deficit next year. Our leadership lack vision, knowledge, or independence to take action and solve these problems either because they are beholden to special interests or out of political self-preservation. I've been a lifelong community advocate and change agent and as your next Councilwoman, I offer visionary leadership, a proven record of achievements and implementing reforms, and I am independent and courageous enough to take action in the best interest of all Angelenos - especially those in the Sixth District. 2. The City Administrative Officer has estimated a $300 million budget shortfall for 2015-2016. What steps do you propose to deal with this problem and how much do you estimate each step would reduce the shortfall? Answer from Cindy Montanez: LA City revenues have remained flat since 2009 and, although the City estimates that revenue will grow by 1% next year, expenses are estimated to increase by more than 5%, resulting in a $300 million budget deficit for the budget year which begins this July. The City's ability to maintain vital services and infrastructure are in peril, not to mention its ability to invest in essential new technology or additional services. The first thing I would do is convene an advisory group with city employees, community leaders, business leaders, and members of the city's executive managemenet team to immediately begin to discuss and propose how to best address the rapidly growing budget deficit. I would also task this diverse and talented team with developing procedures to build a financial future that will most effectively serve Angelenos next year and in the future. Then, I would determine whether the city council is willing to move forward with these solutions or if these proposals should be put forth for a vote of the people so that we can move forward to living within our means. 3. What is the single most important issue facing your Council District today, and how would you deal with it? Answer from Cindy Montanez: Quality of Life is the single most important issue facing my Valley district. We had the highest increase in violent crime in the entire City of LA in our district this past year. Streets are in disrepair, bulky items and trash are blighting our neighborhoods, and graffiti and gang violence increased this past year. As your next Councilwoman, I will fight to demand that Valley residents get our fair share from City Hall to repair our streets, clean our neighborhoods and maintain them, and improve public safety to reduce crime and gang activities so that our families can feel safe and thrive. Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' answers are presented as submitted. The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.