New LA city personnel general manager confirmed with $7,000 pay bump

By JOSE HERRERA

With Los Angeles facing a nearly $1 billion shortfall in the upcoming fiscal year and as city leaders contemplate thousands of layoffs, the City Council on Friday appointed Malaika Billups as the next general manager of the Personnel Department, a role in which she would receive a $7,000 pay bump compared to her predecessor.

In a 11-0 vote, the City Council confirmed Billups, who will assume her position starting Friday. City Council members John Lee, Imelda Padilla, Traci Park, Monica Rodriguez were absent during the vote.

Mayor Karen Bass nominated Billups on March 24.

Billups formally took over the position from Dana Brown, who retired Sept. 21, 2024. Grayce Liu has served as interim general manager.

The City Council also authorized an increase to Billups salary as a result of adjustments to the contract under the consumer price index.

City officials said that Brown’s annual salary upon retirement was $352,475, and Bass recommended an annual salary of $359,532 for Billups. The salary adjustment would have been what Brown would have received.

Billups will oversee the Personnel Department’s 600 employees and 16 divisions, which handle hiring, payroll, among other responsibilities.

On Friday morning, the Personnel and Hiring Committee also voted to recommend approval of BIllups’ nomination.

No City Council member commented on the salary adjustment.

Several City Council members expressed their excitement that Billups will lead the department.

“Our Personnel Department is one that is going to be facing a lot of issues and needs support — a lot of crises right now,” Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez said.

The council member noted that Billups helped the city build its unarmed response pilot program from scratch. Hernandez added, “I can’t imagine the new innovative, flexible, innovative thoughts and suggestions you will have for the department.”

Councilmember Curren Price said Billups had the background, training and experience that demonstrated that she “can get stuff done.”

“Malaika Billups will bring urgency and innovation to the Personnel Department, drawing on her experience as a dedicated city leader to continue shaking up the status quo at City Hall,” Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement.

“Especially in tough fiscal times, we need a leader like Ms. Billups to support employees, help address these extreme liability costs and improve city processes,” she added.

During her confirmation hearing, Billups said it was an honor to be considered for the role of general manager. She also addressed concerns about the city’s financial issues.

“We have heard the city is facing, as the (City Administrative Officer) has said, serious financial headwinds, and with that comes the likelihood of difficult decisions, one that may impact staffing levels, operations and service delivery,” Billups said.

“I do not wish the Personnel Department to be merely a passive administrator of decisions that affect our people,” she added. “I expect I will be a partner with employees and elected officials alike in navigating any challenges to ensure they move forward with fairness, transparency and compassion.”

In the last two years, Billups previously held the position of assistant city administrative officer for Los Angeles. She also served as the chief diversity equity and inclusion officer for the Office of Workplace Equity with the Department of Personnel from 2019 to 2022.

She worked as a deputy city attorney with the Labor Relations Division in the City Attorney’s Office from 2017 to 2022.

Billups earned a bachelors of arts degree in child development from Spelman College and later attended Loyola Law School, where she received a law degree.

Bass is expected to release her proposed budget for fiscal year 2025-26 on April 21. Due to overspending, rising liability payouts, new labor contracts with city employees, recovery efforts from January’s wildfires, and other challenges the city is grappling with serious fiscal concerns.

City officials have stated they will explore several options to close the gap, including raising fees, taxes, asking voters to support bond measures and flexing their connections at the state and federal level. CAO Matt Szabo previously stated they may even have to layoff thousands of workers, consolidate departments, among other measures.

In a letter, Bass said she will “deliver fundamental change in the way the city operates.” She directed the CAO to report to her with strategies to “reduce spending significantly while protecting essential services.”

“This year, we must deliver fundamental change in the way the city operates and base our budget on how the city can best serve the people of Los Angeles and to best use their scarce budget dollars,” Bass said in March.