L.A. Mayor Bass focuses on recovery and unity in ‘State of the City’ address

Facing a massive budget deficit, criticism about her administration’s handling of the Palisades Fire and declining popularity, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass used her third “State of the City” address Monday, April 21, to deliver a message of resilience and momentum–even as the city braces for difficult financial decisions, including a proposed budget that could result in more than 1,600 layoffs.

Bass’ hour-long speech was an attempt to refocus attention on what she framed as recent gains: “fastest in California history” wildfire recovery efforts, the first decline in homelessness in years, and a reduction in crime.

Rather than directly addressing recent missteps, the mayor stressed the need for unity, and urged all parts of the city to work together to recover from the wildfires and navigate the budget crisis.

She described Los Angeles as a city that consistently overcomes adversity, even in the face of significant challenges, and sought to reassert herself as a leader capable of steering the city forward — if it acts with urgency and unity.

“We are not here to gloss over difficulties,” Bass said. “We are here to meet them head-on, and to make real changes.”

The mayor also leaned heavily into a message of partnership, highlighting collaboration with federal and county officials, praising individual council members by name, and vowing to continue to defend the city’s immigrant communities–a moment that drew some of the loudest applause during her speech.

Much of Bass’ address centered on the city’s response to January’s devastating wildfires, which displaced tens of thousands of families, destroyed entire neighborhoods and sparked widespread criticism over the city’s preparedness and response.

The mayor faced scrutiny not only for being out of the country when the fires first broke out on Jan. 7, but also for her public feud with former Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, which ultimately ended with Bass removing Crowley from her post.

In her speech, Bass acknowledged that “we still have a long way to go,” but underscored the speed and scope of the recovery effort.

She noted that permits to rebuild have been issued more than twice as fast as after the Camp and Woolsey fires. Water service, she said, was restored nearly a year and a half faster than after the Camp Fire, and the power was restored within two months.

“Today, in reporting on the State of our City, I report to Los Angeles that the recovery in Palisades is on track to be the fastest in California history,” Bass said. “And we know that the faster we can rebuild, the faster we can heal.”

Bass also pointed to other signs of progress, including a citywide drop in both violent and property crime over the past year.

According to the mayor, homicides fell by 14% in 2024, with gang-related homicides in the most affected communities down 45%. The number of shooting victims dropped by 19%, she said.

“I am pleased to report that we have hit a four-year-high of applications to join the LAPD. But the frustrating part is the city’s broken system now stands in the way of actually hiring those applicants,” she said. “That is why I appointed a new head of the Personnel Department with a clear directive: stop the bureaucratic madness, overhaul the system and get officers hired and on our streets.”

Bass used the same theme of progress to highlight improvements in homelessness — a key priority of her administration. She cited a 10% reduction in street homelessness and a 38% decline in encampments and tents across Los Angeles.

“We are moving thousands more people from the streets than before we took office, and more Angelenos are being moved into permanent housing than ever before,” she said. “All this comes as, nationwide, homeless went up 18% — but not in Los Angeles.”

But even as the mayor emphasized signs of improvement, she acknowledged that the city faces a looming fiscal crisis.

Bass said the city is grappling with a more than $800 million deficit, driven by a combination of factors, including a slowing economy, overspending, liability payouts, labor contracts, lower-than-anticipated tax revenues, wildfire rebuilding efforts, and what she described as “turmoil and uncertainty from Washington.”

“Since January, I’ve been in active conversations with our partners in labor to find solutions to address a worsening economic outlook,” Bass said. “We identified new revenue to offset costs. We reduced funding for the mayor’s office. We further eliminated ghost positions, and we postponed some capital projects.”

Though she only briefly addressed the financial strain during her speech, Bass made clear that difficult decisions lie ahead – including the possibility of layoffs.

Still, she called those cuts “a decision of absolute last resort,” and said she plans to travel to Sacramento this week to advocate for additional resources and support.

“So let me assure our hardworking public servants that I will never, ever stop fighting for you,” Bass said.

The proposed budget, and how Bass handles its rollout, could shape public perception of her leadership at a critical time.

With her political standing in flux, observers say the speech served as both a reset and strategic attempt to reframe the conversation around her administration’s performance.

“I think the devil is in the details about the budget,” said former L.A. City Councilmember Zev Yaroslavsky. “I think there’s progress being made on the recovery front. There’s definitely been progress made on the homeless front. … The big issue right now for the city is this close to $1 billion budget deficit.”

Yaroslavsky said Bass appears focused on accelerating the city’s wildfire recovery efforts – and how she handles the months ahead may be pivotal to her political future.

“I have an old saying, ‘the best politics is doing your job well,’” he said. “The election is more than a year away. The people can be forgiving. … If they think she’s led a solid recovery, I think they’ll recognize that in June of 2026.”

Tom Hogen-Esch, a professor of political science at Cal State University Northridge, called it an overall strong speech, but noted one key omission: a direct response to the city’s handling of the wildfire.

“What happened with that fire response?” he asked. “Why were so many staff from the L.A. City Fire not on duty that night? What happened to the idea of prepositioning engines? … These questions are still wide open, three months after this fire.”

Bass said her focus remains not just on recovery, but on preparing Los Angeles for the future.

She ended her address by looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympics Games, positioning the events as both a challenge and an opportunity.

“Leading up to the 1984 Olympics, we were in the midst of the worst recession in 40 years. The world doubted us, and yes, maybe we doubted ourselves too,” she said. “But Los Angeles delivered the most successful Olympic Games in history. We didn’t just host the world, we redefined what was possible.”