Wildfire recovery, preparations for the World Cup and Olympic and Paralympic Games and investments in health care, affordable housing and homelessness services top the list of budget priorities for state legislators from Los Angeles County in the upcoming fiscal year.
And they’ve requested over $2 billion in the 2026-27 state budget to fund these priorities, as outlined in a series of letters to legislative budget leaders this month.
Among their asks, the Los Angeles County Legislative Delegation is seeking $100 million for L.A. wildfire recovery and community rebuilding and more than $1.3 billion for street and transportation improvements and other infrastructure investments ahead of upcoming major global sporting events that L.A. will play host to over the next couple of years.
In addition, the 37-member delegation, through its chair, requested over $1 billion for health and homelessness services for county residents.
Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, D-Inglewood, said the delegation recognizes that the state faces a “challenging” budget year and will work to approve a “responsible, balanced” budget.
“A responsible budget includes protecting patient access to Los Angeles County’s public hospitals, restoring proposed Medi-Cal cuts impacting low-income residents and helping more families find a safe, affordable and permanent place to call home,” McKinnor said in a written statement.
“A responsible budget also includes looking ahead in order to have necessary security, accessibility and critical infrastructure investments completed prior to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” she added.
Here’s a closer look at some of the priority areas for L.A. County lawmakers.
Wildfire recovery and rebuilding
Lawmakers are seeking $100 million to support ongoing recovery and community rebuilding efforts related to the 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires.
The bulk of this, $70 million, would be for soil testing and remediation of hazardous materials.
Another $10 million would go to support water agencies serving Altadena-area residents. Because the Eaton fire destroyed many homes within these water districts, the agencies are experiencing cash-flow issues. Funding would also help the water districts repair damage to reservoirs caused by the fire.
The budget request also sets aside $5 million each for libraries in Altadena and Pacific Palisades.
The Altadena Library District, which normally relies on property tax revenues for 95% of its funding, has been hit hard by property tax deferrals since the Eaton fire. The state previously provided funding to address this, but lawmakers remain concerned about continued impacts to the library system.
Legislators also want $5 million to rebuild the Palisades Branch Library, which was destroyed during the Palisades fire.
Separate from all this, the delegation requested $10 million to establish an L.A. County Rebuild Authority to act as a central structure “to coordinate infrastructure, permitting, funding and community engagement.” The authority will oversee rebuilding and long-term recovery efforts in Altadena and the unincorporated Santa Monica Mountains.
Major sporting events
Local legislators are seeking more than $1.3 billion to help the L.A. region prepare to host the 2026 World Cup, 2027 Super Bowl and 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
This includes $735.9 million for the city of L.A. to fund street and transportation improvements, accessibility improvements ahead of the Paralympic Games, street and highway cleanups and other projects.
Of that nearly $736 million pot, $65.3 million is proposed for revitalizing the San Fernando Valley’s Sepulveda Basin, where several Olympic events are slated to be held, including BMX, skateboarding and 3X3 basketball competitions and modern pentathlon.
The L.A. legislative delegation is also requesting $379.3 million for L.A. Metro to support a “transit-first” Olympic Games and long-term mobility improvements. The money would pay for integrated regional traffic management systems, rail station upgrades, light rail system improvements and other projects.
In addition, lawmakers are asking for $240.5 million for improvements to Exposition Park near USC to address “critical deferred maintenance” as well as safety and security needs. According to the L.A. legislative delegation, the projected number of visitors annually to Exposition Park exceeds 10 million, and the park will be hosting both World Cup and Olympic and Paralympic activities.
Health, housing and homelessness
The delegation is seeking over $1 billion in health and homelessness-related services, along with funding for affordable housing.
The legislators want $500 million annually to restore California’s share of Medi-Cal inpatient costs to public hospital systems. The state stopped funding this in 2005, shifting the “non-federal share” of these costs to public hospitals. The hospitals, in turn, have relied on federal supplemental payments, which are now being capped, phased down or jeopardized, and concerns remain about federal funding cuts, according to the L.A. legislative delegation.
The delegation also made note in its letter to legislative budget leaders that it does not support Gov. Gavin Newsom‘s proposal to transition undocumented immigrants from full- to restricted-scope Medi-Cal starting in October due to federal changes regarding who’s eligible for the benefits.
“We ask that the 2026-27 Budget Act reject reductions in the State’s Medi-Cal full-scope coverage for residents with unsatisfactory immigration status,” the letter stated.
The L.A.-area lawmakers are also asking for heavy state investments for affordable housing, as well as homeless housing and services.
This includes $8 million for the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency, which the delegation said will support regional coordination to expedite housing production, streamline processes and expand renter protections and homelessness prevention programs.
In January, Newsom proposed a $348.9 billion state budget for the upcoming fiscal year. State lawmakers have been holding budget hearings, which are ongoing.
The Legislature must pass a budget by June 15, which is then sent to the governor to sign.
The 2026-27 fiscal year begins July 1.