As Los Angeles prepares to enter the 2010-11 fiscal year, the neighborhood councils' budget advocates have been busy working on a variety of issues related to-and voiced concerns about-the city's current financial crisis, reports of impending insolvency, and the creation of a realistic budget for the coming 12 months. Beyond that lie the dangers inherent in looming pension shortfalls and contractual obligations which bind the city.

The budget advocates-elected by their neighborhood council peers to represent the 90 community organizations-are responsible for gathering the concerns, opinions, and suggestions of the councils and forwarding them to city officials. On March 19, the advocates presented their views about the fiscal situation to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and offered ideas about balancing the budget.