LOS ANGELES, April 6 (UPI) -- The budget crisis in Los Angeles prompted Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to call Tuesday for city agencies to shut down for two days each week starting next week.
City Controller Wendy Greuel cautioned Monday Los Angeles could run out of funds to pay employees and vendors within four weeks.
At a news conference Tuesday, Villaraigosa said all city agencies -- with the exception of public safety and revenue-generating departments -- should close for two days a week beginning April 12, the Los Angeles Times reported. Villaraigosa said he would direct city officials to get to work right away on a plan to implement the shutdown.
"We have to act, and we have to act quickly," the mayor said.
Greuels' warning followed notification by Los Angeles Department of Water and Power officials that they would recommend the department not remit $73.5 million that had been promised as a contribution to the city treasury -- following a recent City Council decision to deny the department an electricity rate increase, the Times said.
