Two reports by Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel revealed that the two agencies, Public Works and Transportation, moved too slowly on spending the federal money.
According to a Los Angeles Times report, the departments moved too slowly in spending the federal money.
From the Times: With unemployment above 12%, city officials should move more urgently to cut red tape and spend the money, Greuel said. “The process needs to be changed to make sure we get these projects out as quickly as possible,” she said.
… The controller’s audits found that as of March 31, the city had secured $594 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which was created to invigorate the economy by spending money on infrastructure projects.
Of that total, nearly $71 million went to the city’s Department of Public Works, which plans to create or retain 238 jobs by resurfacing streets and bridges, rebuilding sidewalks and storm drains, and adding bicycle safety grates to catch basins. Read the full story here.