Garcetti Fields Queries from Porter Ranch Residents

Mayoral candidate Eric Garcetti touched upon how he would work to close the city's budget gap, lessen traffic and other issues during the Porter Ranch Neighborhood Council meeting Tuesday.

Few questions from attendees regarded local matters and leaned more toward citywide issues.

One resident asked how Garcetti feels about some city workers paying zero percent out of pocket toward their health care.

He said he believes all city employees should cover 10 percent of their benefits.

"If we did, that that would be enough to restore $60 to $70 million dollars. It's a fair amount out of pocket," he said, adding: "I'm not doing this to try to get more out of city employees, I just see that we still have a budget deficit and that we need to solve it."

When asked about traffic, Garcetti said the San Fernando Valley is in desperate need of a north-south line that traverses the Sepulveda Pass. Despite the 2008 approval of Measure R, a $40 billion traffic relief generated by a sales tax increase, there needs to be an effort to accelerate securing funding for the line.

"Widening a freeway isn't going to be doing much," he said.

One of the few local concerns raised was about the potential loss of local fire trucks and ambulances due to budget cuts. Garcetti responded by saying that fire services and the parks and recreation would be the first departments to receive allocations from new monies.

And when it came to job creation, Garcetti said he's working a proposal that would let studios shoot pilots for free in Los Angeles by waiving all city fees. If one is picked up by a network, then the entire first season would be allowed to shoot for free, the councilman said.

It'll be City Controller Wendy Greuel's turn to talk to Porter Ranch residents Wednesday night. She will be speaking at the Sheperd of the Hills Church at 19700 Rinaldi St., Room 130. The event starts at 7 p.m.

The mayoral runoff election is on May 21.